A Not So Forbidden Love
by mtd4417
Summary: Complete! While investigating a crime that hits Gibbs close to home, some NCIS agents might find love. Rating to be safe for language and adult content. RR!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello all. This is my first NCIS fanfic, and I'll be honest, I haven't read any yet…So please RR and I'll return the favor! Thanks! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own NCIS or any of the characters. I do, however, own all of the characters that I make up =)

0-0-0

"Male, looks to be around late twenties," Dr. Mallard declared as he looked over the body of a young man. NCIS had received a call about the murder of a young naval officer and had rushed to his home.

"How long, Duck?" asked Leroy Jethro Gibbs as he glanced around the floor, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I'd say he's been deceased for about two hours, maybe a little longer," Ducky replied. Gibbs nodded and walked to the other side of the body. He squatted down next to the young man and looked closely at the wounds. It appeared to Gibbs that this man had been shot multiple times and, from the way his body was laying on the floor, he had been unprepared for the attack.

"Dinozzo!" Gibbs hollered.

"Yes, boss?" Anthony Dinozzo called back as he came around the corner from the kitchen where he had been looking for clues.

"Check the bedrooms," Gibbs ordered. "Ziva, stay close to him." Ziva David nodded obediently and followed Dinozzo who offered her a quirky smile. She almost felt the urge to smile, but instead rolled her eyes and let him lead down the hallway.

"I'll check this one, you take the one at the end of the hall," Ziva said, sounding as though she were the one with authority.

"Yes, boss," Dinozzo muttered sarcastically, to which he received a light smack on the shoulder from Ziva. He chuckled and went to investigate the bedroom at the end of the hallway. Gun at the ready, he opened the door, only to be shocked by what he saw.

"Ziva!" he called. She rushed to where Dinozzo was standing and saw, in horror, a little girl laying unconscious, covered in blood. Dinozzo rushed over to the girl, placing two fingers on her throat.

"She's got a pulse!" he exclaimed. "Get an ambulance here!" Ziva rushed out of the room, and within minutes, an ambulance arrived and paramedics were entering the bedroom to transfer the little girl. Ziva and Dinozzo reentered the living room where the rest of the team remained.

"Find anything?" Gibbs inquired.

"Just the little girl," Dinozzo replied.

"Anything else, Dinozzo?" Gibbs asked, sounding frustrated.

"Uh, no, boss," Dinozzo answered. Gibbs shook his head and turned toward Ziva, when all of a sudden the front door opened and a young woman rushed inside.

"Hold it!" Gibbs hollered, raising his gun, as did the rest of the team. The woman raised her hands up in a defensive stance before looking at the floor and dropping to her knees next to the body.

"Robbie!" she exclaimed frantically, tears beginning to roll down her face. "Oh my God, what happened? Robbie!" At that moment, the paramedics turned the corner from the hallway, carrying the little girl on a stretcher.

"Lexi!" cried the woman. "What happened to my baby?"

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to step outside," Gibbs said to the woman.

"But this is my husband and daughter!" the woman cried, wiping her tear-streamed face.

"I understand that, but I can't have you in here while we're investigating," Gibbs explained. "Go to the hospital, be with your daughter. I'll send two of my agents to meet you there." Reluctantly, the woman nodded and stood from her dead husband's side. Still, crying, she exited the house and left for the hospital in the ambulance with her daughter.

"Tony!" Gibbs turned back to Dinozzo. "You and Ziva go to the hospital. Question his wife. Find out any information on anyone who may have wanted to harm this man. Stay until the girl wakes up, and find out exactly what happened here a couple hours ago."

"You got it, boss," Dinozzo said and made an 'after you' gesture toward the front foor, smiling cockily at Ziva. She smirked at him and walked outside.

Inside the house, Gibbs and McGee continued the investigation. Timothy McGee had made his way into the kitchen to inspect it. He took pictures of a trail of bloody footprints leading from the carpet of the living room, across the kitchen tiles, and to the back door.

"Look at this, boss," he said, catching Gibbs' attention. Gibbs placed his coffee cup on the tv stand in the living room and joined McGee in the kitchen.

"Follow it, McGee," he ordered. McGee jumped slightly, and obeyed. Gun pointed in front of him, he led his boss through the kitchen and out the back door. The two men went down the stairs of the back porch, seeing no evidence on the porch itself. McGee caught a glimpse of a trashcan with a large amount of flies swarming above it. At a closer look, he observed a smear of blood on the lid.

"I got something!" McGee exclaimed. Gibbs hurried over to the agent's side. After taking a deep breath, McGee removed the lid of the trashcan.

"Oh, God," Gibbs muttered, turning away from the trashcan. "This'll need to go to Abby." McGee could not look away. Inside the trashcan, he was staring at a bloody hammer wrapped up in a t-shirt.

"Well, at least we found the murder weapon," he finally said. Gibbs turned back to face him.

"Yeah, except one thing, McGee," he said irritably. "The man in there was shot."

"Well, maybe there was more than one murder weapon," McGee suggested, perplexed. Gibbs sighed and shook his head. He figured there was nothing more to discover at the time and was about ready to head back to headquarters when a man suddenly approached him.

"Police?" the man asked. He was middle aged, brown hair turning gray. He was wearing sweatpants and a white wife-beater tank top.

"NCIS," Gibbs responded, hand on his gun. "You are?"

"Name's Larry Hunter," the man replied. "I live next door. What's going on?" Gibbs removed his hand from his gun, feeling unthreatened by the man in front of him.

"Well, Larry, it seems a murder took place here a couple hours ago," Gibbs said and then took careful note of Larry's reaction. He was clearly shocked. His mouth dropped open, and he ran a hand quickly through his graying hair.

"A murder?" Larry repeated, not sure he had heard correctly. Gibbs nodded. "Wow. Who?"

"Not sure," Gibbs replied. "Hasn't been identified. Young man in his late twenties-"

"Rob?" Larry interrupted. "Someone killed Rob?"

"What can you tell me about your neighbor, Mr. Hunter?" Gibbs asked the man, not answering his question. Hunter, still in shock, shook his head and stammered for a moment before answering.

"Well, uh," he began, "I mean, the Marksons are great people."

"Markson?" Gibbs asked, taking out his notepad.

"Yeah," Hunter replied. "Robert Markson, Jr. and his wife Kristi live here. They have an eight year old daughter named Lexi too. Very nice people. They'd do anything for anybody. Wouldn't harm a fly. I can't imagine why anyone would have a problem with Rob."

"Well apparently someone did," Gibbs said. "You can't think of anyone?" Hunter shook his head.

"Nah, not a soul," he replied. Then, he cocked his head in remembrance. "But…"

"Yes, Mr. Hunter?" Gibbs pressed on.

"It was pretty strange," Hunter started. "Two days ago, I was out back trimming my hedges, and Rob was out back on his grill. We got to talking, and he said something that just seems strange to me."

"What was it, Mr. Hunter?" Gibbs asked, getting annoyed with the man.

"He thanked me for always being such a good neighbor and asked me to look after Kristi and Lexi if anything ever happened," Hunter explained. "It's just strange to me that two days later, he's killed."

"Yeah," Gibbs said, closing his notepad. "It's strange to me too."

Meanwhile, Tony and Ziva were walking across the parking lot at the hospital toward the entrance. She was a step ahead of him, and he was watching her out of the corner of his eye. Ziva had always amazed him. The way she walked, the way she fought, the way she spoke; it was all very interesting to Tony. The way that she didn't understand English idioms had always been very cute to him, although he commonly teased her about it. Tony was finding that, even though he tried hiding his feelings by teasing her, he was becoming more and more attracted to Ziva David. There was nothing he could do about it; he couldn't date a team member. He would never hear the end of it from McGee. What would Gibbs say? No, he couldn't risk it. But still, Tony was becoming entranced by Ziva's beauty. Her long dark hair seemed so soft, and he felt his fingers twitching, wanting to feel it. Her dark eyes were like deep pools, and he tried to avoid direct eye contact so he wouldn't become lost in them. Ziva was beautiful, but he couldn't have her.

"Tony?" she said. Dinozzo jumped.

"Yeah?" he asked, coming out of the trance she had him in.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Fine," he replied.

"Well, we are here to question the man's wife," Ziva reminded him.

"I know," Tony said before putting on a quirky smile. "Let's get on it, Toots." He winked and walked past her.

"Do not call me Toots," Ziva instructed sternly as she followed the senior field agent down the hallway toward Kristi Markson. When they approached her, she stood, tears still in her eyes.

"Police? Detectives?" she guessed.

"NCIS," Dinozzo replied. "I'm Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo, and this is Officer Ziva David."

"Kristi Markson," the widow said in a trembling voice. "Tell me what happened," she pleaded.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I wish I could," Tony told her. Kristi sniffled and wiped her face with a tissue she had clutched in her hand.

"You mean you don't know who did this to my family?" she asked. Tony shook his head.

"We're very sorry, ma'am," Ziva said. "But perhaps you could help us." Kristi looked back and forth between Tony and Ziva before nodding and sitting down on a chair in the hallway. Tony and Ziva sat as well.

"Where were you when the incident took place?" Ziva asked her. Kristi wiped her eyes again before answering.

"I, uh, was at the grocery store," she replied between sniffs. Ziva frowned, clearly confused. Tony picked up the questioning.

"Mrs. Markson, is there anybody you can think of who had a problem with your husband?" he asked. Kristi pondered his question for a moment and then shook her head.

"Only his brother Max," she replied.

"Max?" Tony repeated. Kristi nodded.

"Yes," she replied. "Rob and Max had been arguing about their father's death. That is all I can think of." Just as Tony was about to ask another question, the doctor came into the hallway to announce that Lexi had woken up.

"Can I see her?" Kristi instantly asked. The doctor nodded.

"Of course," he said.

"We'll need to go in, too," Tony said. The doctor looked at him for a moment, unsure of how to handle this.

"She's in critical condition and is very weak and tired," he explained. "It would really be best for only one visitor at a time. Sorry."

"I wasn't asking your permission, doc," Tony said, to which he received a shocked expression from the doctor and a pinch on the arm from Ziva.

"What he means," Ziva began, "is we need to ask Lexi a few questions. I'm Officer David and this is Special Agent Dinozzo from NCIS, and we need information on a murder case." Ziva showed her badge.

"Well," the doctor hesitated, "I guess, well, all right." He reluctantly allowed the two to enter. Dinozzo smirked as he walked past the doctor.

"I saw that," Ziva whispered. "Why are you always so cocky?"

"It's just who I am, sweets," he smirked. Again, Ziva felt the urge to smile, but instead she just walked past him.

Inside Lexi's hospital room, the young girl was hooked up to many tubes and monitors. She appeared even smaller than what she already was due to the amount of bandages and machinery around her. Kristi had pulled up a chair and was sitting next to her daughter, holding her hand very lovingly. Tony and Ziva looked at each other quickly before each taking a deep breath and stepping toward the pair of ladies.

"Lexi?" Ziva started gently. "My name is Ziva and this is Tony." Lexi just stared at her.

"Please, be easy," Kristi requested quietly.

"Of course," Ziva said. "Lexi, I know it is hard, but I need you to tell me everything that you remember from what happened today."

"I…" Lexi said, just loud enough to be more than a whisper. She closed her blue eyes, whether from physical or emotional pain, Ziva didn't know. Kristi ruffled her daughter's blonde hair and kissed her forehead lovingly. She whispered in her ear, encouraging her to cooperate. Lexi reopened her eyes, and Ziva and Tony could see they were brimmed with tears.

"I was at home…with Daddy," Lexi began again. "He was…on his computer. I was watching tv…There was a knock on the door…Daddy answered it and told me…to leave."

"Did you?" Ziva asked.

"I went…to my room," Lexi replied.

"What did you hear?" Ziva asked. Lexi took a couple deep breaths, and Kristi continued playing with her daughter's hair. Ziva could tell Lexi was very weak and needed her rest, but she also knew that the information this little girl had was vital to the investigation. "Lexi?"

"Give her time," Kristi snapped, swallowing down the lump in her throat.

"I heard…them yelling," Lexi continued. "He was yelling…about money…Daddy yelled back…Then…boom."

"The gunshots," Ziva noted. Lexi nodded.

"Lots of them," she whispered. Kristi leaned in and kissed her daughter on the forehead again.

"Good job, baby," she whispered. "You're doing great. You're being strong, baby girl."

"Lexi," Ziva began again. Suddenly, Lexi gasped for air. Alarmed, Kristi asked if she was okay.

"Lexi, I need to know if you remember who the man was that your dad was arguing with," Ziva said. Kristi ignored her and pushed Lexi's hair back as her daughter continued gasping for air.

"Doctor!" Kristi screamed. The doctor rushed into the room and shooed the three adults out just as Lexi's eyes closed. Kristi began sobbing hysterically and collapsed against the wall.

"Oh, God," she sobbed. "Please, don't take my baby! I already lost my husband today! Please, God, please, don't take my baby from me. I can't lose her!"

"Tony…" Ziva whispered and pointing toward Lexi's room. Tony looked to where Ziva pointed and felt his stomach drop. Through the window on the door, they watched as Lexi's heart monitor went to a flat line.

0-0-0

Meanwhile, at headquarters, Abby had started running tests on the blood and fingerprints on the hammer found at the crime scene. While she was doing her forensics, Gibbs made a visit to Jenny's office. He closed the door behind him, and she looked up from her desk.

"Jethro," she greeted him, "what a pleasant surprise." She offered him a smile, but he didn't return it. He looked down at the floor and took a deep breath.

"A twenty-eight year old man was murdered," Gibbs told her. "His eight year old daughter was shot too." Jenny's mouth dropped, and she was speechless.

"Oh, my," she stammered, still in disbelief.

"I don't know how the girl is doing," Gibbs continued.

"That's, that's…horrible," Jenny said. Gibbs nodded. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Gibbs replied. He crossed the room to her desk and took a seat opposite her. She stared at him, mouth still wide open. He looked back at her, taking in the sight of her red hair shining from the light emitted from the window behind her.

"Are you sure?" she asked. She was beginning to come to terms with what Gibbs had just told her. Gibbs nodded. "Then what is your reason for coming here?" Gibbs chuckled lightly.

"Do I need an excuse to visit my own girlfriend?" he asked. Jenny offered him another small smile.

"So you're calling me your girlfriend now?" she asked. They had been together for two months and had kept it secret. Jenny had all but moved in with Gibbs, and they had agreed to hide their relationship from the rest of NCIS. That was more Gibbs' idea than Jenny's, but he was very persistent about it. He did not want the team to know. Jenny had been slightly offended at first; she didn't care if they knew. However, as the time passed, she grew to enjoy the secret love affair. She found it exciting.

"Well, Jen, you kind of are," Gibbs smiled. "You can cut the sarcasm."

"How much longer do you plan on hiding it from them, Jethro?" she asked. "They'll find out sooner or later."

"They'll find out when I'm ready for them to find out," Gibbs replied, and Jenny knew that was the truth. She smiled and changed the subject back to the case Gibbs was investigating.

"So, do you have any leads on your case?" she asked.

"A neighbor came over and said the victim had had a fight with his brother," Gibbs replied. "Other than that, no."

"Anything from the wife or daughter?" Jenny pressed on. Gibbs shook his head.

"The wife was in too much shock, and the daughter was unconscious," he replied. "Tony and Ziva are at the hospital and are going to find out from the girl what happened when she wakes up. Until then…" Gibbs was interrupted by his phone ringing.

"Dinozzo?" Jenny guessed. Gibbs nodded and answered his phone.

"Yeah, Gibbs," he said. Jenny watched Gibbs' facial expression as it changed from shock to pure anger. Gibbs did not speak another word, and by the time he closed his phone, he was furious. Jenny could see Gibbs' eyes flaring as he ran his hands through his gray hair. She was almost scared to speak.

"What is it?" she asked mildly. Gibbs stared at the floor for thirty seconds before looking Jenny straight in the eyes.

"Lexi's dead."

0-0-0

**A/N:** Well, there's chapter one. It obviously takes place when Jenny is still director. I hope you liked it. There will be more excitement and (of course) romance to come…(I already have the whole story planned out and sitting beside me) Please RR and tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Well, it's time for chapter two, be excited! But first, to show my appreciation…

Hundan: Thank you very much for your review. I'm very glad that you liked the first chapter so much and appreciate your compliments. Also, no offense was taken at all from your tips. Like I admitted, I posted this story before having read many NCIS fics, so I didn't really know the style in this category before jumping into it. I read quite a few today (and enjoyed them I'll add) and totally see your point about using Tony's first name. I'll try to be more cautious of it, but won't make any promises that I won't slip up at all haha. Also, I didn't see anyone in the other stories giving a personal tidbit like this, but honestly, I comment back to everyone who reviews my stories. I do it in all my stories in every category. I find it a good way to show my appreciation and to answer questions and such. Well, thanks again, and I hope you enjoy chapter 2 :)

**Disclaimer:** If you recognize it, I don't own it…However, my made-up characters are mine :)

0-0-0

"What?" Jenny asked, taken aback by what Gibbs had just told her. Gibbs shook his head briefly.

"The daughter, her name was Lexi," Gibbs explained. "DiNozzo said she just died." Jenny's mouth opened and she leaned against the back of her chair. There was silence in the office for about two minutes before Jenny broke it.

"Well, did they, umm, find out anything from her first?" she asked hopefully. Gibbs shook his head again.

"He didn't say," he answered shortly.

"Well what are you going to do next?" Jenny asked inquisitively.

"Go after the bastard that did this," Gibbs replied angrily as he rose from the chair and exited the office in a furious strut, slamming the door behind him.

"Jethro…" Jenny whispered. She was slightly worried. Very rarely did cases affect Gibbs. If they did, he certainly tried his damnedest to hide it. He never displayed the type of behavior that Jenny had just witnessed. A case was always just a case. Why was this one any different?

0-0-0

Tony and Ziva were on their way back to headquarters from the hospital. The ride had been mostly silent; the radio was off and they hadn't spoken since leaving the parking lot. Witnessing the death of an eight-year-old girl was definitely something that would put a damper on anyone's good day, and both agents found themselves feeling lost. The one living person who had been at the crime scene had just died. Not only that, but the person was a child. The situation could not have been much worse.

"Tony," Ziva broke the silence. He felt her looking over at him but didn't turn to face her. He didn't want to look into those deep brown eyes. Especially after what they had just witnessed, Tony knew his guard was down and he would fall into the trance that Ziva always put him in.

"Yeah," he said, staring straight ahead at the road.

"I think we should talk about what we have learned," she continued. "So we will be ready to talk to Gibbs." Again, Tony was silent. About thirty seconds later, he nodded.

"Yeah, okay," he said. Ziva took a deep breath.

"All we know is that Robert Markson got into an argument with his brother Max over their father's death," Ziva recalled. "Therefore, we have one suspect."

"Right," Tony agreed, still not looking at her. Ziva turned back to face him. She could tell something was troubling him; he wasn't teasing her, her didn't have one of his signature smiles, and he hadn't even looked at her since leaving the hospital. Certainly more was bothering him than just the case.

"Are you okay?" she asked, genuinely concerned. Tony glanced her way briefly.

"Yeah, fine, why?" he replied. Ziva shrugged.

"It just seems like something is bothering you," she answered. For about half a second, she saw a trace of a sad smile cross Tony's lips.

"Well, it's kind of a depressing situation, Ziva," he pointed out.

"True," she agreed. "I just was wondering if there was something else on your mind."

"No," Tony lied and then changed the subject. "What else are you thinking about the case?"

"Well," Ziva began. She cleared her throat. "I think Kristi Markson seemed a little, how do you say, shady?"

"Shady? Krist?" Tony asked, slightly shocked. "Why's that?"

"Well, her reaction to seeing her dead husband seemed normal enough, and she seemed completely heartbroken about her daughter," Ziva replied, "but do you remember when I asked her where she had been?"

"Yeah, she was at the grocery store," Tony replied. "What's your point?"

"She had no grocery bags in her hands, Tony," Ziva explained.

"Maybe she left them in the car," Tony replied logically. "If someone pulls up to their house and sees that it has turned into a crime scene, I doubt their first instinct would be to grab the groceries." There, he was starting to act like his normal self toward her. His guard was coming back up. Now if only he can keep it that way…

"True," Ziva agreed. "But she kind of stuttered."

"She was in shock, Ziva," Tony said, slightly more strongly than intended. Ziva whipped her head to face Tony and both her silent for almost a minute. Tony didn't know why, but Ziva was trying to read him.

"Why are you defending her so much?" she demanded.

"I-what?" Tony stammered.

"You are completely trying to make her seem innocent without giving her any thought," Ziva accused him.

"I am not!" Tony exclaimed, slightly amused by the accusation.

"Were you attracted to her or something?" Ziva pressed on. Tony's mouth dropped open and he looked back and forth between Ziva and the road, completely caught off guard by her question.

"Well, I mean," Tony stuttered. "How did you come up with _that_ out of no where?"

"So that is a yes," Ziva concluded, turning her gaze to the road as well.

"I mean, she's attractive," Tony answered. "But a lot of people are attractive. Doesn't mean they can't be shady." He smirked slightly.

"Hmm," was all that Ziva responded. Tony chuckled slightly to himself.

"Wow," he smiled. Ziva turned to face him again.

"What?" she demanded.

"You're jealous," Tony said, quite sure of himself, and flashed her a cocky smile. This time it was Ziva who was speechless. Her mouth opened and she laughed briefly.

"I most definitely am not," she defended herself. "I simply thought that you, being you after all, would be keen with the idea of clearing an attractive woman. That's all."

"Okay Ziva," Tony smirked again. "Whatever you say."

0-0-0

Finally, Tony and Ziva returned to headquarters from the hospital. The elevator ride was silent, and when they reached the correct floor, DiNozzo offered Ziva one of his charming smiles again and let her exit first. He then followed her to where Gibbs and McGee were awaiting their arrival.

"What do you have for me?" Gibbs asked as soon as Ziva and Tony reached their desks. The two exchanged looks, trying to communicate on who would speak first. "Today?" Gibbs barked.

"Uh," they both jumped.

"Well we talked to Mrs. Markson at the hospital," Ziva began.

"I figured that," Gibbs said, clearly angry. "What did she say?"

"Not much," Ziva admitted. "But I think she was acting kind of shady. We may want to question her at some point. I think she may know more and be of more help outside of the hospital setting."

"So basically you got nothing," Gibbs snapped.

"Boss, we knows that Rob Markson was fighting with his brother," Tony jumped in, hoping Gibbs' anger wouldn't escalate. "And Ziva is right about Mrs. Markson's shadiness. The little girl was able to tell us that the man who killed her father was yelling at him about money. That's a start." Ziva stared at him incredulously. Moments ago, Tony had been mocking her theory about Markson's wife, and here he was agreeing with her just to save himself in front of Gibbs. Normally she would just shrug it off, but for some reason it was really bothering her. She didn't know why, but her feelings and emotions toward Anthony DiNozzo lately had been very confusing.

"That's nothing, damn it!" Gibbs explained. "All we have is a dead man, a depressed widow, a pissed off brother, and now a dead daughter!"

"Boss-" Tony started.

"I'm going out," Gibbs stood from his desk and stormed down the hallway toward the elevator. "Call me if you get anything useful." Tony, Ziva, and McGee gawked after their boss and stared at the elevator moments after it had closed. They couldn't believe Gibbs had just reacted that way and caused such a scene.

"What the hell?" Tony muttered. McGee and Ziva turned their faces from the elevator and shared a confused glance.

"What just happened?" McGee asked.

"Clearly Gibbs is upset," Ziva replied. Tony chuckled.

"Great observation there, Officer David," he mocked her. Ziva glared at him.

"Shut up, Tony," she spat. "How often do _you_ see Gibbs show his feelings about cases like that?"

"Well-"

"And what was up with you when Gibbs was asking us questions?" she demanded.

"What are you talking about?" Tony could feel his anger beginning to rise and tried to suppress it. He didn't want to be angry with Ziva.

"In the car you were defending Kristi Markson as if your life depended on it, yet here you agreed with my observation about her!" Ziva exclaimed. "To make yourself appear good, you suddenly decided to kiss my rear."

"It's 'ass', Ziva," Tony spat back. "Kiss your _ass_, and no I didn't. I could tell Gibbs was pissed and figured the more information we could give him, the happier he'd be."

"That clearly worked well," Ziva said sarcastically, crossing her arms.

"Yeah well if you-" Tony was interrupted by McGee.

"Will you guys stop it?" he interjected. "Let's act like adults here and look at what's in front of us." Tony and Ziva glared at each other one last time before turning to McGee.

"This is an awful case," McGee pointed out. "Clearly it's affecting Gibbs…And no one knows why."

"Well, I might know why," a voice from behind said. McGee turned around to see the usually hyper, lovable Goth forensic scientist standing behind him looking disgruntled.

"What's up, Abby?" Tony asked.

"Well, you said it yourself, this is a terrible case," Abby said.

"Yes, but we have dealt with hard cases before," Ziva pointed out.

"But I think this is hitting Gibbs closer to home," Abby explained. "I know children have been involved before, and Gibbs has always had a soft spot for them. But didn't you say this guy's eight-year-old daughter was killed?" Tony nodded.

"Yeah," he replied, wanting the scientist to continue.

"Well we all know Gibbs had a young daughter who was killed too," she said.

"And how old was she again?" Ziva asked. Tony felt his stomach drop slightly as he processed the answer to Ziva's question in his mind. Now he understood why Gibbs was suddenly so angry. Gibbs knew exactly what this felt like, and the feeling was all too familiar. Tony swallowed and took a deep breath before answering.

"Eight."

0-0-0

**A/N:** I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know in the show Gibbs is always strong, but in this story, I want this case to affect him. I want to show a different side to him. Please don't get angry because of this :) I am not trying to "change" Gibbs, just show different sides. Anyway, please RR and let me know what you think. I will probably update again tomorrow!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Well it's chapter 3 time. Thanks for the reviews :) Enjoy!

But first…

Hundan: Thank you for reading again. I'm glad you are liking it so far. My sister read the first chapter and didn't like that I was making Gibbs seem "weak" in her opinion. To each their own, I guess. Yes I love Tiva very much. This is taking place before Somalia, as you said. Personally, I always like Jenny better than Vance, so I choose to write with her still there haha. Well, enjoy chapter 3 :)

Idk nshrjc: Thank you for the review and I'm glad you like it so far. In response to your comment, yes Tony was driving in the beginning. I was trying to make it seem as though he was avoiding looking (or even speaking for a while) at Ziva. Good point about focusing on the road though. Hope you enjoy!

ItalianRiot: Thanks, glad you like it. Sorry it took a while for this chapter, but enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I still own nothing other than my own characters.

0-0-0

After leaving work that evening, Ziva had decided to take a drive to clear her mind. It was dark outside; it was going on 10:30p.m. She sat at a red light, taking in her surroundings. The street lights shone, illuminating the night sky, and she couldn't see a single star. The sidewalks were scarcely occupied, yet not entirely empty. She watched as a young couple walked down the sidewalk holding hands and felt a light pang in her stomach. Always, Ziva was the tough girl, and she knew she was too. But deep down, she wanted to feel loved. She wanted to love. She wanted the love that other people had, and she wanted it to be known. Ziva sighed as the couple she had been watching shared a sweet, soft kiss and smiled at each other. The man ran his fingers through his girlfriend's hair, pushing it out of her face as the wind blew against them. Again, Ziva sighed, jealous that she had never experienced the feeling of deep, true love with a man. Would she ever?

"Case, Ziva," she whispered aloud, turning away from the couple. Finally, the red light turned green, and Ziva drove on. She began thinking about the case they were investigating. How horrible it must be to lose a husband. Finally, after finding that true love that Ziva longed for, having it ripped away so brutally must feel like having your heart ripped from your chest. And the pure evil of stealing away a child's life. Her heart ached for Lexi who lost her life so young. Also, she felt her stomach turn over when she remembered Gibbs' reaction in the office. How could they not have put together why this case had affected him so? They had all known about Kelly. Maybe they had all just expected Gibbs to keep his composure through everything; he always had.

"The tough one," Ziva chuckled bitterly to herself. They'd all been so shocked when Gibbs had shown emotion. Had they thought that he was so tough that he had lost ability to feel pain or anger when a child was killed? Does the team think that she, Ziva, is that tough as well that she doesn't have emotions? After all, she has rarely let anyone see her true feelings. Ziva took a right turn and continued driving aimlessly.

'I wonder what Tony's doing,' she heard her mind say. Ziva's eyes widened and she tightened her grip on the steering wheel. Where had that thought come from? She had just been thinking of the case and of Gibbs. Why did her mind suddenly drift to Tony?

"Tony…"she sighed and dropped her shoulders. They had bickered on the drive back to headquarters and had fought at work. The last exchanges of words between the two had been negative; for all she knew, Tony was still angry with her for fighting with him. The fight had been stupid, Ziva knew that. They mostly were. She just couldn't help herself. No matter what she knew about how she felt about him, she always found herself bickering with him.

'Well he argues back,' she told herself. Part of her must have enjoyed it. She did always love that quirky little grin he would give her. Suddenly, Ziva pulled over and put her car in park. She looked up to find herself sitting in front of Tony's apartment building. Ziva had not even realized that she had driven there and sat outside for a few minutes wondering what to do. Subconsciously, she exited her car and walked to Tony's door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked. After twenty seconds, the door opened, and Tony stood in front of her, looking confused and surprised.

"Ziva," he uttered. "Is something wrong?"

"Um, no," she replied. "I'm, uh, not interrupting anything, am I?" Tony shook his head but still didn't move to the side to allow her to enter.

"What's up?" he asked, still confused as to why Ziva was standing in his doorway. Ziva looked down at the ground.

"I do not know why I am here," she admitted.

"Well that makes two of us," Tony said shortly. Ziva glared at him for a moment before gaining a burst of confidence.

"I think we should talk," she told him and pushed the door open farther, allowing herself to enter, and walked past him into the apartment.

"Come in," Tony said sarcastically under his breath as he shut the door and turned to face his guest. Ziva stood about five feet away from him with her arms crossed. "Talk."

"I want to know what is wrong with you," Ziva stated. "You have been acting odd."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tony replied. "But if you're just here to attack me, you can leave."

"I am no where near touching you!" Ziva exclaimed.

"I meant attacking me with words, Ziva," Tony said, slightly irritated, slightly amused. Ziva frowned, confused. "Accusations, verbal attacks, come on, you get it."

"I have no intentions of accusing you of anything, Tony. I am simply concerned about you, that is all," Ziva explained. Tony smiled slightly.

"Why?" he asked. "Where is this concern suddenly coming from?"

"What do you mean?" Ziva asked.

"Well, you seemed pretty pleased with yourself at work today when you were fighting with me," Tony replied. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"You are my partner," Ziva began. "And I…" Tony cocked his eyebrows at her. "I care about you, Tony." Tony did not know how to react. He knew he cared about her more than anything, but he still felt mixed emotions about what had happened that day. He sighed and shook his head.

"You sure have a damn strange way of showing it," he told her.

"Oh, like your way is any better?" Ziva challenged him. Tony looked her straight in the eyes and spoke before he could stop himself.

"Who ever said I care?" Tony's eyes widened when he heard those words come out of his mouth. He held his breath as he felt the world stop moving and time freeze while they stood, looking at each other. For a moment, Ziva held the eye contact they shared, and Tony saw every emotion that she felt change in her eyes. First, her dark eyes were overcome with hurt, and that killed Tony inside. Ziva must have known that Tony had picked up on her feeling of hurt because she quickly covered it up with anger. Tony knew he had to say something. He only wished he could rewind and take those words back that had hurt Ziva.

"Ziva, I…" he began, put Ziva put her right hand up to stop him and turned away from him.

"I should go," she said just above a whisper and walked slowly to the door. She was fighting the lump in her throat and felt her eyes burning as tears tried to well up in them. Ziva was doing an excellent job of holding back her emotions; she was used to doing so after all. She had absolutely no intention of letting Tony see how his words had affected her and had her hand on the doorknob when she felt him behind her.

"Ziva, please, stop," Tony said in a tone that Ziva had never heard him use before. It was soft but had a hint of something else in it. She couldn't put her finger on what that something else was. Ziva took a deep breath, her hand still resting on the doorknob, but did not open the door.

"Yes?" she asked, still facing the door. She had completely suppressed the tears that had threatened her but feared that the lump in her throat would resurface if she spoke too long, or even looked at him.

"I'm sorry," he said and placed his hands on both of her shoulders. She didn't know what to say, so she said the first thing that came to mind.

"Rule six," Ziva reminded him quietly. Tony smiled when Ziva finally turned around to face him. He kept his hands on her shoulders, and they were only a few inches apart.

"Rule number eight, never take anything for granted," Tony replied. He didn't want Ziva to think that he would ever take her or their relationship for granted again. Tony had no idea what their relationship was or could ever be, but he knew that he had to stop making hurtful comments toward her and just assuming that she would brush it off and treat him normally. He had almost let her walk out.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ziva asked. Tony smiled.

"I'll tell you later," he said. Tony stared into Ziva's dark brown eyes but could not read what she was feeling. He knew he was having strong feelings and urges and wasn't trying as hard to suppress them as he normally did. Ziva, too, had let her guard down. She raised her arms slightly and put them around Tony's waist, bringing them even closer together. Tony moved his hands that were still resting on her shoulders up to her neck and within seconds, the gap between their lips had closed. The kiss must have lasted an entire minute. During that time, Tony felt more emotion than he ever had with any other woman. The kiss was very tender, and he took in the taste and softness of Ziva's lips on his. When they pulled apart, they regained eye contact and remained lost in that moment until Ziva jumped, coming back to reality, and turned away, looking at the ground.

"I should go now," she said.

"No," Tony said. Ziva looked at him questioningly. "It's getting late. I would feel better if you just stayed here for the night."

"Tony, I would not want to impose any further," Ziva insisted. Tony wanted her to stay, but he needed a reason to convince her. He directed his attention to a nearby window and saw that while he and Ziva had been sharing their moment, it had started raining outside rather heavily.

"Ziva, it's dark, and it's raining," Tony told her. "It would be safer for you to just stay. Besides, you're not imposing at all." Ziva smiled. She couldn't refuse his offer any longer.

"Okay," she agreed. "But, why are you so insistent about this?" Tony's lips went into a half smile and he crossed his arms.

"Because Ziva," he began. "You are my partner, and I care about you." Ziva genuinely smiled, overfilled with joy by hearing Tony say that.

"Well," she said, "I guess I cannot argue with that."

"I'll get you something to sleep in, and you can have my bed," Tony told her as he walked down the hallway. Ziva followed. "I'll sleep out here on the couch."

"Tony," Ziva began, "I do not want you sleeping on the couch at your own place. That would be imposing, which I do not want to do. Either I will sleep on the couch or we will both sleep on the bed." They had reached Tony's bedroom, and Ziva glanced down at the bed. "It does appear to be big enough, after all." Tony tossed a pair of gym shorts and an Ohio State tee shirt at her.

"And it's not like we've never shared a bed before," he reminded her, flashing her a signature Tony DiNozzo grin. She laughed lightly and went to the bathroom to change. When she returned to the bedroom, the light was already off and Tony had taken the left side of the bed. Ziva crossed to the right side and laid down, pulling the covers over her. Knowing her partner was not asleep, Ziva broke the silence.

"So are you going to tell me how rule number eight applied to earlier?" she asked. Tony chuckled.

"Good night, Ziva," he said.

"Good night, Tony," she replied and smiled to herself as she rolled over and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

0-0-0

Tony and Ziva were awoken the next morning by the sound of Tony's cell phone ringing on the nightstand. Tony yawned and reached over to grab the phone.

"DiNozzo," he answered. Ziva watched and listened to Tony's end of the conversation. "Yeah….sorry, I….okay….twenty minutes….got it, Boss." Tony hung up the phone.

"Gibbs," Ziva stated as Tony placed his cell phone back onto the nightstand and stood from the bed.

"Yep," he replied. "He has something for us to do. Have to be there in twenty minutes."

"Wait," Ziva began. "Why did he only call you?" Tony cocked his head, unsure of the answer.

"Maybe he'll be calling you soon," he responded. Ziva shook her head.

"If he was going to call me, he would have done so by now," Ziva said, and Tony knew she was right.

"Oh well," he shrugged.

"He must know, Tony," Ziva told him. Tony smiled and opened his closet.

"You're paranoid, Ziva," he said. Then, realization hit him. "Oh shit."

"What?" Ziva asked, still sitting on the bed watching him.

"You don't have anything here do you?" he asked, turning toward her. "It may look a bit strange if you and I show up to work together, and you're wearing the clothes you wore yesterday."

"Don't worry," Ziva grinned. "I always carry a change of clothes in my car. You never know when you may need them." She stood from the bed and left the room. While she was gone, Tony got dressed, combed his hair, and cleaned up the best he could with the small amount of time he had to work with. Ziva returned, holding the clothes she had been referring to and a hairbrush.

"I keep a hair brush in my console," she explained when Tony offered her a confused look.

"I'll be in the living room," he said and left so she could get ready. Tony went and sat on the couch, and a few minutes later, Ziva appeared fully clothed and with her hair in a quick ponytail.

"Ready," she said. Tony rose from the couch and followed her out the door and down to the sidewalk.

"I'll meet you there," he said as they each walked to their own cars. Tony started his car and drove to headquarters; Ziva was driving behind him. The events of the night before kept replaying in his head. He could not believe what had happened. Tony had always longed to do so much more with Ziva, but the fact that they had even shared a kiss with that much emotion was good enough for him. He couldn't help but wonder if it was simply a one-time instance or if the future promised more between them. Little did he know, Ziva was having similar thoughts in the car behind him.

They arrived at NCIS headquarters, parked their cars, and walked inside together. The elevator ride was silent, but it wasn't an awkward silence, which put them both at ease. Upon exiting the elevator, they saw Gibbs and McGee talking at their desks, probably concerning the case.

"It's about time," Gibbs said when Tony and Ziva joined their team.

"Sorry, Boss," Tony said and Ziva smiled. Gibbs stood and looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Just don't let it happen again," he told them knowingly. Tony and Ziva both nodded, and McGee stared between all three of them, clearly confused.

"Anything new, Boss?" Tony asked, breaking the silence. Gibbs smiled, picking up the Caf-Pow that had been sitting on his desk and headed down to Abby's lab, gesturing for his team to follow. McGee offered Tony and Ziva one last confused look, and Ziva laughed and followed Gibbs. Tony smirked at McGee and took off after Ziva, leaving McGee standing alone, still perplexed.

"McGee!" Gibbs barked, causing McGee to jump and hurry after the team.

"Coming, Boss!"

Moments later, Gibbs and his team entered Abby's lab and their ears were filled with loud rock music. Abby was turned with her back toward them, focusing on something on the table in front of her. Gibbs approached her and tapped her on the shoulder, causing Abby to jump, startled. She turned down her music.

"Gibbs!" she exclaimed. "You are not going to _believe_ what I found!"

"Well I might if you tell me," Gibbs responded. "Whatcha got Abbs?"

"Well," she began, walking past him to where the evidence lay that she was about to refer to. "I traced the shell found in the victim's body, and it came from the gun owned by another naval officer."

"Name, Abby?" Gibbs asked.

"Joshua Barge," Abby replied, bringing Barge's picture up on her big screen, along with his information. Gibbs walked over and looked over the information briefly.

"He has a history of domestic violence," Gibbs observed. He turned back to Abby. "Anything else?"

"Yes," she replied. "See, I took the hammer and blood-stained tee shirt to test the blood. I was certain that it had to be Robert Markson's, since he was murdered after all, and that would only make sense."

"Abby," Gibbs said sternly. "Get to the point."

"Right," the scientist continued. "Well, I tested the blood on the tee shirt, and was shocked to find that it did not match Robert Markson." Gibbs cocked his eyebrow and waited for her to continue. "I ran a scan and matched it to yet another naval officer named Patrick Lansing."

"How many people were involved in this," Tony wondered out loud.

"More importantly, where is Patrick Lansing?" Gibbs questioned. "Is he dead or alive? Where can we find him?"

"I don't know if he's alive or not," Abby admitted. "But it's his blood on that shirt."

"Good job, Abbs," Gibbs said and took a step toward her, intending on giving her the Caf-Pow.

"Wait, I'm not done!" Abby exclaimed.

"There is more?" Ziva asked, wondering what else Abby could have possibly found.

"Yes," Abby replied. "I ran the fingerprints from the hammer, expecting them to match Joshua Barge since it was his gun used at the crime scene." She held up the evidence bag containing the hammer.

"Are you saying it wasn't Barge who used the hammer?" Gibbs inquired.

"Yes!" Abby answered excitedly.

"Then whose prints were on the hammer?" McGee asked.

"This is the big shocker," Abby said, placing the hammer back on the table. "After running the prints from the hammer, I matched them to the prints of Robert Markson, Jr. The prints on the hammer are the victim's!" Ziva, Tony, and McGee all looked at her, shocked by what they had just heard. Gibbs nodded and walked toward the forensic scientist, handing her the Caf-Pow and placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Good work, Abbs," he said again and walked out of her lab, gesturing for his team to follow. They followed, trying to process the twists that the case had just taken.

"So, wait," Ziva said in the elevator, trying to get the information straightened out. "Markson is the one who was murdered. The gun that killed him belonged to Barge, but the blood in the shirt belonged to a man called Lansing, and the prints on the hammer were Markson's?"

"This is all one big messed up circle," Tony sighed.

"Yeah, well it's time to bring some people in for questioning," Gibbs said as the elevator doors opened and the team walked back to their desks.

"Ziva, DiNozzo, you two go get Kristi Markson," Gibbs ordered. "McGee and I will find Barge."

"The wife?" Tony asked. "Why her?"

"Because, DiNozzo," Gibbs began, "I want to know more about this shadiness you two mentioned, and I'll bet she knows something about Patrick Lansing. I want information on Markson and Lansing's relationship. Now go." Tony and Ziva turned and headed toward the elevator as McGee was looking up Joshua Barge's home address. Tony shook his head as he and his partner entered the elevator. This was such a strange case.

'There can't be anymore outrageous twists like this,' Tony thought to himself. Little did he know just how wrong he was.

0-0-0

**A/N:** And so we have chapter three! Sorry it took me forever to update. Hopefully you all found it worth the wait. Also, I apologize if you think Tony and Ziva were OOC during their little scene, but I want them together very badly, and I'm a sucker for romance in stories. I tried to keep their same personalities though. And about Ziva having clothes and a brush in her car, one of my friends does that, so I got the idea from her haha. Well, I promise more action and romance will follow, but only if you review. Hope you liked it!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thank you all for your patience in waiting for me to update :) Hope you like chapter 4!

Sarai: Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Keep reading, and enjoy the rest!

Anonymous: Well I'm happy you are enjoying it and hope you like this chapter!

Hundan: Well thank you. Yes, I want to keep the Tony and Ziva situation innocent (at first, haha). I'm glad you're liking it. Enjoy! 

KoteDiM: Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS or any original characters, just my own.

0-0-0

The car ride to Kristi Markson's house had started off silent. Tony had beaten Ziva out once again for the driver's seat, although she secretly had let him beat her. The Markson residence was a good fifteen minutes away from NCIS headquarters, and after the first five minutes of awkward silence, Ziva felt it was time to break it.

"Tony, do you want to talk?" she asked.

"About what?" he responded. Ziva held back a smile.

"Last night," she replied. She tried to read Tony's facial expression, but it didn't change.

"What about it?" he asked innocently, looking her way and flashing her a big smile and winking his right eye before turning back to the road. Ziva, too, smiled and said nothing more about the topic. The rest of the ride to Kristi Markson's house was silent, but it was not an awkward silence, and Ziva felt at ease in the car.

Finally, they pulled up to their destination. Ziva looked out the passenger side window at the house they were about to enter. When she had been there the day before, she had not noticed how beautiful the house and neighborhood were. Granted, she had been there only to investigate a murder. The house was two-stories, white, with a wrap-around porch and a very ornate entry. On the left side of the second level, there were French doors that opened up to a balcony that overlooked a pond. All around the house was a garden full of beautiful flowers, statues, and other garden decorations. There was also a huge lawn of perfectly green grass. The surrounding houses appeared to be just as nice in outward appearance. Ziva sighed inwardly, wondering when she would ever get a house of her own with her own family, and if she would ever have such a perfect looking house. All of a sudden, her car door opened and she came out of her thoughts.

"You okay?" Tony asked. "Or were you just waiting for me to open your door?" Ziva smiled up at him.

"Yes, I am fine," she replied and stepped out of the car. Tony slammed her door shut and the two of them walked up the sidewalk to the porch. Ziva knocked on the door and waited about a minute. When no one answered, she knocked again.

"Mrs. Markson?" she called. "Open the door! It's Officer David from NCIS!" Still, no one answered. Normally, at this time Ziva would have kicked in the door, but she subconsciously felt her hand lead itself to the doorknob and turn it. "Tony, it's unlocked."

"Sure, leave your house unlocked the day after your husband was murdered here. Great idea," he muttered sarcastically. Ziva pushed the door open, her gun held out in front of her. She entered the house, Tony right behind her with his gun out as well. As they entered the living room, they saw it was empty. Ziva continued into the kitchen while Tony started down the hallway. She looked in the kitchen and in the dining room and found nothing.

"Clear!" she called. Tony looked in all four rooms down the hallway; a bathroom, an office, and two bedrooms, one of which had belonged to Lexi Markson. He didn't find anything in any of the rooms.

"Clear!" he called back. He went back to the living room and rejoined his partner. "Maybe she's not here." Just then, they heard a noise above them, and they both looked up at the ceiling. Ziva rushed to the other side of the living room where the staircase was and ran up the stairs. Tony followed. At the top of the stairs, they stood and listened to see if they could hear anything. They heard voices coming from the room all the way at the end of the hallway. Slowly, they made their way down the hall until they reached the door. Ziva and Tony looked at each other, silently communicating what happened next. After a nod from Ziva, Tony kicked the door open and Ziva dashed into the room, holding her gun in front of her.

"Federal agents!" she hollered. The two people in the room screamed, and Ziva lowered her gun when she recognized Kristi Markson.

"Officer David," Kristi said, surprised at her visitor. Tony entered the room as well. "Agent DiNozzo."

"Not a smart idea, Kristi," Tony began. "Leaving your door unlocked, that is." Kristi didn't respond, but she looked down at the floor.

"Who are these people, Kristi?" asked the man sitting next to her. Kristi and the man were sitting on a king sized bed, leaning against the headboard. From the size of the room, and the fact that there was a bathroom in the corner near the French doors that Ziva had seen from the car, Ziva concluded that they were in the master bedroom.

"I'm Officer Ziva David and this is Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo," Ziva answered. "We are investigating the murder of Kristi Markson's husband Robert and their daughter Lexi."

"Better question," Tony said, taking a step toward the bed. "Who are _you_?" The man on the bed looked back and forth between Tony and Ziva for a moment, and Ziva took in his appearance. He looked to be about thirty years old with dark brown hair, although it was shaved into a buzz cut, and piercing green eyes. His arms were very muscular as well. This man was definitely very attractive.

"Patrick Lansing," he responded. Tony's eyes widened briefly from surprise, but he quickly recovered.

"We're going to need to take you both in for questioning," Tony said.

"You think we had something to do with Rob's death?" Lansing asked, anger rising in his voice.

"We're not jumping to conclusions," Tony replied. "But we need to know everything that you two knew about him and anything you could possibly tell us." Reluctantly, Kristi and Lansing rose from the bed and allowed Tony and Ziva to lead them out of the house and take them back to NCIS headquarters.

Meanwhile, Gibbs and McGee pulled up to the address that McGee had found to be the home address of Joshua Barge. It was a nice looking one-story brick house in an average looking neighborhood. There was a small garden growing around it but nothing too fancy. The two agents walked up the sidewalk and Gibbs pounded on the door. After a moment, the door opened and Gibbs and McGee saw a very attractive young woman standing before them. She looked like she was in her early to mid twenties and had long blonde hair and big blue eyes. McGee noticed that the woman was also very well endowed on top and had a very curvy figure. She was wearing a white low cut tank top and a black mini skirt. He felt his eyes widen but was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard words being exchanged.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked.

"Special Agent Gibbs," Gibbs introduced himself, showing his badge. "If there is a Joshua Barge here, Agent McGee and I would like to talk to him for a moment." Gibbs gestured toward McGee.

"Come on in," the woman offered hesitantly after a moment. "I'll get him for you." Gibbs and McGee walked in and waited in the living room while the young woman exited to retrieve Barge.

"McGee," Gibbs said, turning to face the other agent. "Keep your eyes in your head when we're here to question a potential suspect."

"Uh, yes, Boss. Sorry, Boss," McGee stammered, flustered. After a couple of minutes, the woman returned with a man in his late twenties. Gibbs assumed he was Joshua Barge.

"Joshua Barge?" Gibbs asked. The man nodded. "NCIS. I'd like you to come down for some questioning."

"What for?" the man asked.

"I have some questions for you regarding the death of a fellow naval-" Gibbs was interrupted by Barge.

"You think I killed him?" Barge nearly hollered. Gibbs stared into the man's eyes for a moment silently. His glare penetrated into the young man's soul, and Gibbs could feel Barge's discomfort.

"I'd like to ask you a few questions," Gibbs repeated sternly, and Barge reluctantly obliged. Gibbs and McGee led him to the car and took him back to headquarters.

At headquarters, the team was standing in an observation room discussing what they had learned. On the other side of the glass, Kristi Markson sat at the table looking very distraught.

"When we got to her house, we found her upstairs with Lansing," Tony explained. "They were in her bedroom, Boss."

"You thinking they were having an affair, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked. Tony shrugged.

"It's possible," he replied. "Maybe Lansing was in love with Kristi and killed her husband so he could be with her instead."

"How would he have gotten Barge's gun?" McGee asked. Tony snapped his head in McGee's direction and glared at him for questioning the theory.

"I think we should hear what everyone has to say before we jump to any conclusions," Ziva intervened. Gibbs nodded and left his team. He entered the interrogation room moments later and sat across from Kristi Markson.

"Water?" he offered her a bottle of Dasani water that she accept and thanked him.

"What's this about?" she asked. "I didn't kill my husband."

"I never said you did," Gibbs said. "I just want to know anything you can tell us that has any relevance to your husband's death."

"I don't know how much help I can be, Agent Gibbs," Kristi replied. "I wasn't even there."

"Which brings me to my first question," Gibbs began. "Where were you yesterday when your husband and daughter were attacked?"

"I already told your agents I was at the grocery store," Kristi replied, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"What did you get at the grocery store?" Gibbs asked. Kristi stared at him, clearly confused.

"Uh, I don't know, milk, cheese, bread. What does it matter?" she asked.

"Mrs. Markson, when you returned to your house yesterday, you had no groceries with you," Gibbs pointed out.

"I saw all the cars and the ambulance," Kristi said. "I forgot about the groceries. I just wanted to see what happened to my family!" Gibbs nodded and wrote in his notepad.

"Mrs. Markson," he continued. "What is your relationship with Patrick Lansing?" Kristi looked stunned. Her mouth dropped open.

"We-we're just friends, Agent Gibbs," she stuttered.

"Well according to my agents, you certainly appeared to be rather friendly with each other this afternoon," Gibbs said in reference to Tony and Ziva finding them in her bedroom together. Kristi shook her head, her mouth still open.

"No," she replied. "No. I know what it must have looked like, but no. Patrick and I are just friends, and he is helping me grieve. I just lost my husband and daughter for God's sake, and you want to accuse me of cheating?"

"Mrs. Markson," Gibbs pressed on, taking note of Kristi's reaction. "Do you know if Lansing has recently been to a doctor or hospital?" The blood found in the tee shirt had belonged to Lansing, and Gibbs was curious as to what Kristi would say.

"Um…No, Agent Gibbs," she replied. "Not to my knowledge." Gibbs nodded and wrote in his notepad again.

"One more thing for now, Mrs. Markson," he said, looking up at her from his notes. "What was the relationship between Patrick Lansing and your husband?"

"They were cousins, Agent Gibbs," she replied.

Gibbs reentered the observation room to a perplexed looking team.

"Do you think she had anything to do with the crime?" Ziva asked. Gibbs shrugged.

"I think she's making up being at the grocery store," Gibbs replied. "I want to know where she really was."

"Do you think you can find out from Lansing?" Tony asked. Gibbs smiled before turning and leaving his team again. He entered the interrogation room where Patrick Lansing had been waiting.

"Look, sir, I know it doesn't look good for me, but I swear I would never have hurt Rob," Lansing blurted out before Gibbs had even sat down.

"Let me start by introducing myself," Gibbs said, ignoring his suspect's outburst. "I'm Special Agent Gibbs. You haven't been accused of anything yet. I just want to ask you some questions." Lansing took a deep breath, clearly feeling uncomfortable.

"Okay," he said.

"Where were you yesterday afternoon?" Gibbs asked. Lansing's eyes widened and began looking frantically around the table. Gibbs took note of this.

"Uh, I was at home, Agent Gibbs," he replied and fidgeted slightly in his chair.

"Is there anyone who can confirm that?" Gibbs continued.

"Um, well," Lansing stuttered. "I guess not. I mean, maybe my neighbors, sir." Gibbs nodded.

"Tell me about your relationship with Kristi Markson," Gibbs instructed. Lansing froze.

"W-what do you mean 'relationship'? We-we're just friends, Agent Gibbs," Lansing replied.

"Well, your body language and her answers tell me otherwise," Gibbs said. "I've already spoken with Mrs. Markson, and I suggest that you tell me the truth." Lansing looked around the interrogation room frantically and stammered nonsense for a few moments before taking a deep breath and deciding to comply with what Gibbs had said. 

"Fine," Lansing agreed calmly. "Kristi and I were _not_ having an affair. She loved Rob, and he was my cousin. But one day, two days ago actually, the day before he was killed, Rob went out to dinner with some of his buddies. I stopped over to see him 'cause I didn't know he was gone. Kristi said he was gone for a couple hours and invited me in for a drink. So she hit on me, Agent Gibbs!"

"Just finish your story," Gibbs instructed. Lansing nodded.

"Well, after about an hour, Kristi asked me if I could fix something on Lexi's bike because Rob hadn't been able to get around to it yet," Lansing continued. "I followed her out back to the shed, and when we got inside, she closed the door. I didn't mean to, Agent Gibbs, but we'd both had some alcohol, and she practically threw herself at me."

"So you slept with her?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes," Lansing admitted. "We were out in the shed having sex, and all of a sudden, the door flew open and Rob was standing there. He was pissed, which is understandable."

"What happened then?" Gibbs urged him to continue, writing down what was being said.

"I tried to reason with him and calm him down," Lansing explained. "He was too angry though. He stormed over to his tool box and grabbed a hammer. He started beating me with the hammer. Not in the head, just the shoulders mainly. He shoved me against the wall, and my right shoulder hit the window. It shattered on my arm, cutting my shoulder up pretty badly. He kept hitting me with that damn hammer, not hard enough to do severe damage or anything. He was kind of a wreck and was losing his strength. But it still hurt like a bitch. Finally, Kristi pulled him back and got him to stop. He told me to leave and never come back. I promised him I wouldn't, and I left. I felt awful, Agent Gibbs. He was my cousin. When I left, he was sobbing."

"Yeah, well imagine if you walked in on the love of your life, the mother of your child, sleeping with your cousin," Gibbs said. Lansing bowed his head in shame. "Speaking of Lexi, where was she during all of this?"

"Kristi said that Lexi was staying the night at her friend Brianna's house," Lansing replied.

"Did you ever return to the Markson residence?" Gibbs asked. Lansing shook his head.

"No, sir," he replied. "Absolutely not. Not after what happened in the shed."

"Did you go to a doctor after that?" Gibbs asked. Lansing nodded.

"I went to the ER. I told them I was working in my basement and fell down the stairs," he explained. "The x-rays showed nothing was broken, which I was expecting because Rob wasn't hitting me with much force. I mainly went because of how the window cut up my arm." Gibbs nodded and stood. "Can I go?"

"Not yet," Gibbs replied and left the room. He reentered the interrogation room where he had left Kristi Markson and sat down across from her. He glared at her straight in the eyes for quite a long moment before she looked away.

"You lied to me," Gibbs growled at her.

"I did not!" Kristi protested.

"Oh?" Gibbs asked. "Lansing just told me everything. He told me about the incident in the shed. Anything you want to clear up, Mrs. Markson?" His glare was piercing, and he could feel how uncomfortable he was making Kristi feel. Finally, she broke down crying.

"Okay, okay," she sobbed. "We had sex once. In the shed, like he told you. Rob beat him with a hammer. After Patrick left, Rob took off his tee shirt and wrapped the hammer in it and threw it in the trashcan. He didn't speak to me the rest of the night. It was awful. He was so hurt, Agent Gibbs, that he didn't yell at me or anything. He wouldn't look at me or speak to me."

"So where were you _really_ at when your husband was killed?" Gibbs inquired. Kristi wiped her face and looked at Gibbs with pure fury in her eyes.

"I had gone to Patrick's house to tell him that what had happened between us was just a one-time thing. It was a mistake, and there wasn't anything there," she explained. "He wasn't happy. He said he felt like he was falling in love with me."

"Then what happened?" Gibbs pressed on.

"I left," Kristi replied.

"Then you went home? Where you saw your house had turned into a crime scene?" Gibbs asked. Kristi hesitated.

"Y-yes," she replied. Gibbs raised his eyebrows, silently telling her to tell the truth. "Well, after I left Patrick's house, I stopped at a coffee shop and had tea and coffee cake. I had to clear my mind. Then I went home."

"How long after you left Lansing's house did you return home?" Gibbs asked.

"Maybe an hour at the absolute most," Kristi replied. Gibbs stood and left the room. He went into the observation room where his team was to discuss the case with them.

"You think Lansing killed Markson while his wife was at the coffee shop?" Tony asked when Gibbs entered.

"I think it's a possibility," Gibbs replied. "Except the little girl said the man who killed her father was yelling at him about money. As far as we know, Markson didn't owe Lansing any money."

"Well maybe he did, but Lansing hasn't told us," McGee suggested.

"It would make sense," Ziva chirped in.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs said, turning to his senior field agent.

"Yes, Boss," DiNozzo replied.

"I want you to question Barge," Gibbs said.

"What do you want me to find out?" Tony asked and immediately wished he hadn't. He closed his eyes and accepted the Gibbs slap to the back of his head.

"Where he was when it happened, his relationship to Markson, his relationship to Kristi, if Markson owed him money," Gibbs listed. "Anything of any relevance."

"Boss, you brought him in, why don't you want to be the one to question him?" Tony asked.

"Because it was his gun that killed Markson and his daughter," Gibbs replied. "If he admits to being the one that pulled the trigger, I don't want to kill him in interrogation." Tony nodded his understanding and walked out and in to the interrogation room where Joshua Barge was waiting.

"Good afternoon," Tony said with a sly smile.

"I don't know why I'm here," Barge said bluntly. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"I'll be the judge of that," Tony said, taking a seat across from Barge. "Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. Where were you yesterday afternoon?"

"At the gym," Barge replied shortly.

"Witnesses?" Tony asked.

"Tons of them," Barge replied.

"I'll need names," Tony said and pushed a piece of paper and a pen toward Barge. Barge hesitated a moment before writing down four names.

"Why don't we start with your relationship with Robert Markson," Tony suggested.

"He was my best friend, sir," Barge replied a bit more courteously than he had spoken before.

"And your relationship with his wife?" Tony asked. Barge cocked his eyebrows in confusion.

"I'd only met Kristi a handful of times," Barge replied. "She seemed nice, but we were only acquaintances."

"Had you and Robert Markson gotten in any type of argument or disagreement recently?" Tony asked. Barge shook his head.

"No, sir," Barge replied. "Rob and I never fought."

"Well, that seems strange to me on account of your history of domestic violence," Tony said, opening the folder in front of him.

"That was a long time ago," Barge insisted defensively.

"Four years ago, cops were called to your house by neighbors who heard loud yelling," Tony read. "You admitted to having a verbal argument with the woman who was mentioned and admitted to shoving her against the wall."

"I found out she cheated on me," Barge explained. "We'd been dating for four months."

"Two years ago, cops were called to your house again by neighbors hearing loud yelling," Tony continued. "This time, you and the woman both had marks on you, but neither of you filed charges."

"Different woman," Barge explained. "We'd had some to drink and got into a fight. Not a big deal. We're married now and couldn't be happier."

"Not a big deal?" Tony repeated and closed the folder. "I've gotten angry at my fair share of women, but I've _never_ touched them out of anger. When you have two domestic disputes in two years, that's a big deal. You're a violent man."

"No," Barge protested. "You've got it all wrong. I admit I have a bad temper, but those incidents are in my past. I'm not like that now. Rob and I never fought!" Tony was silent for a moment and looked down. Just then, something under the table caught his eye.

"You're wearing new shoes," Tony observed.

"Uh, yeah," Barge replied, clearly confused. "Why is that relevant?"

"Well, at the crime scene there were bloody footprints in the kitchen that led outside from the body," Tony explained. "And you suddenly have brand new, perfectly white shoes."

"You want to call me a murderer because I'm wearing new shoes?" Barge hollered.

"I am just trying to figure out what happened," Tony said.

"Well you're talking to the wrong person," Barge told him. "I don't know anything about it. I wasn't there!"

"Our evidence shows otherwise," Tony replied calmly.

"Well then you've made a mistake," Barge reasoned. Tony smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"Not possible," he said. "We don't make mistakes."

"Well you're making one right now if you think I had anything to do with this," Barge said very angrily. Tony paused for a moment and sat up in his chair, looking Barge in the eyes.

"Can you tell me, if you were not at the scene of the crime, how your gun got there?" Tony asked. Barge did not try hiding his shocked expression.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"We traced the shell from Markson's body to the gun that it came from," Tony explained. "It's your gun."

"No, no you've got to be making a mistake!" Barge yelled. "I'm telling you, Agent DiNozzo, I had nothing to do with this!"

"Then who else had access to your gun?" Tony demanded..

"No one!" Barge exclaimed. "I don't know what happened, but you had to have made a mistake, damn it!" Tony was silent for a moment before he stood and walked toward the door.

"Wait here a moment to calm down," he instructed to Barge before leaving. He joined the rest of the team in the observation room they were in and handed McGee the list of names that Barge had given him. Without another word, McGee headed to his desk to look up their telephone numbers and check Barge's alibi.

"What do you think, Boss?" Tony asked. Gibbs sighed.

"I think he might be telling the truth, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied.

"But what about his gun?" Tony asked.

"Someone else had to have had access to it," Ziva reasoned. "Do you believe that he doesn't know who could have gotten it?"

"I'm not sure," Gibbs admitted. "DiNozzo, when you go back in there, find out if Markson owed Barge any money."

"Yes, Boss," Tony replied.

"I'm gonna go get a refill," Gibbs said, gesturing to his coffee cup. He walked out of the room and closed the door, leaving Tony and Ziva alone. It was silent for a moment before Ziva broke it.

"Tony, I do no want things to be strange between us," she said.

"Strange?" he asked, taking a step closer to her. "I didn't realize they were."

"Well, you know I care about you," Ziva continued. "But last night…" Tony had inched closer to her while she had been talking and was standing just inches away from her at that point.

"What about it?" he asked softly. Ziva felt her knees go weak as Tony raised his right hand up to her neck and pulled her lips into his. They shared another long, passionate kiss and pulled away only when they heard the doorknob turn.

"I checked with all-" McGee stopped when he saw Tony and Ziva standing alone, very close together. "Sorry, uh, was I interrupt-"

"No, probie," Tony said, walking toward him. "Whatcha got?" McGee looked again from Tony to Ziva before continuing.

"Well, I called the people Barge had listed," McGee explained. "His alibi checks out, Tony. They all said he was at the gym at that time." Tony sighed.

"So who the hell took his gun?" he wondered out loud before leaving the room to reenter the interrogation room again. Tony crossed the room and sat across from Barge again.

"Ok," he began. "I believe you were at the gym."

"Thank you," Barge sighed.

"But it still doesn't explain how your gun was used to kill him," Tony continued. Barge sighed, clearly getting annoyed again. "Did Markson owe you any money?" Barge looked rather taken aback by Tony's question.

"No, why?" he asked. Tony shrugged.

"Just curious," he replied. A bitter smile crossed Barge's face.

"You know, Agent DiNozzo," he began, "I really shouldn't help you out since you repeatedly accused me of killing my best friend, but I will share some information with you. I'm only doing it for Rob though."

"Go on," Tony said, taking out his notepad.

"If you want to find Rob's killer, I suggest you focus on Patrick Lansing and Max Markson," Barge told him.

"His brother and his cousin?" Tony asked. "Why's that?"

"Max was pissed at Rob because apparently Rob ripped Max off somehow regarding their father's death," Barge explained. "And Lansing has always been pretty much up Max's ass, he'd go along with anything Max says." Tony nodded.

"Thanks for your cooperation," he said as he rose from the table and exited the room before Barge could speak another word. When he reentered the observation room again, Gibbs was back with a full cup of coffee.

"Now what do you do, Boss?" Tony asked.

"Let them all go home," Gibbs instructed. "We don't have anything to charge them with." Tony nodded.

"On it, Boss," he said and turned.

"Wait," Gibbs said. Tony turned back to him. "DiNozzo, Ziva, you two go get Max Markson. I want to see what he has to say about his brother's death."

0-0-0

**A/N**: Well, there's chapter 4….and I'm aware that it was incredibly long. I just really enjoy detail! And this story seems to have a lot of detail haha. Well, I hope you all enjoyed. Please review :)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello all! Good news: I'm back! I am so sorry it's been months since I've updated. I've been soooo busy! A couple days after posting chapter 4, my Christmas break ended and I had to move back up to school. And my cousin who had been really sick passed away a couple weeks ago. I've been so busy with schoolwork and family things that my stories took a backseat. But, things are calming down now, and I have returned to my writing :) However, over the course of the last month, I have managed to LOSE my outline for this story! I wanted to get back into writing, so today I tore my dorm room apart searching for it, and I cannot find it anywhere. So, I'm just gonna wing it :) Enjoy!

Hundan: Thank you, I'm glad you think so. Yeah, I had to include some random, awkward McGee moment lol. Keep reading, and I hope you like this chapter!

Radafa: Luckily, you get to meet the brother in just a few minutes! As far as Tony and Ziva, you'll just have to read to find out :)

Aliiahncisxx: Thanks, glad you like it!

GirlOfSpring: Thank you :) Yes, I try to keep a balance between romance and the rest of the story (unless, of course, I'm writing a romance story) to keep people interested and as not to take away from the main storyline. Although I do love Tiva. I hope you enjoy the rest of it :)

Hannelovestiva: Alrighty, will do :)

Livi harkness: Thanks. I hope you like it!

Beth0524: Thank you. Glad you like it. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. If I made it up, it is.

0-0-0

As Tony was driving down the street, he couldn't help but focus on the fact that Ziva was sitting merely inches from him in the passenger seat. As much as he tried to play it off like things weren't feeling different for him, he knew that the kisses they had shared had not been innocent. Tony knew that his feelings for his partner had grown immensely, and he no longer wanted to fight them.

"Do you know where you're going?" Ziva asked.

"Yes," Tony replied. "Why?"

"You were supposed to turn on that street back there," Ziva said, pointing over her shoulder. Tony looked in the rear view mirror and realized she was correct.

"I'll go around the block," he said and turned left. Ziva smiled and looked out the window.

"This is why you should let me drive," she said. Tony chuckled and drove on in silence for about two minutes before he broke it.

"Ziva," he began. Ziva turned to look at him. "How would you like to go to dinner tonight?" Ziva's eyes widened in surprise, and she did not hide the taken aback expression on her face.

"With you?" she asked. Tony gave her a quick glance, slightly offended.

"Never mind," he said.

"No, no," Ziva said. "I was just shocked that you asked me out. But yes, I would love to go to dinner with you."

"Okay then," Tony smiled. "Eight o'clock?"

"Sounds fine to me," Ziva replied.

"Perfect," Tony said right before pulling over to the side of the road in front of the building they were about to enter. Ziva and Tony got out of the car and looked up at the sign above the door.

"Law Office of Maxwell Markson," Ziva read.

"Sounds fancy," Tony observed and opened the door, holding it open for Ziva to enter. When they walked inside, they were greeted by a secretary.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"NCIS," Ziva began, showing her badge. "We need to talk to Max Markson."

"Hang on just a moment," the secretary said and hurried from her desk through another door. Tony and Ziva waited patiently until the secretary returned.

"Mr. Markson will see you," she said. "Go on in."

"Thank you," Tony said and nodded his head toward the woman as he and Ziva walked past her into Max Markson's office.

"Maxwell Markson?" Ziva asked.

"Yes, ma'am," replied the man sitting behind a large oak desk. Max Markson was a stocky man with brown hair and brown eyes. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties and looked very much like a businessman. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm Officer David and this is Special Agent DiNozzo. We'd like to ask you to come with us so we can ask you a few questions," Ziva explained to him. Max looked instantly concerned.

"Questions about what?" he asked.

"Mr. Markson, you are aware that your brother was murdered, right?" Tony asked, taking a step toward Max's desk.

"Of course I am," Max replied. "Is that what you want to ask me about? To ask if I killed my brother? If so, the answer is no."

"It's not that simple, Mr. Markson," Tony said. "We need more information, and we believe you may know something that could be helpful to us." Begrudgingly, Max agreed to accompany Tony and Ziva back to NCIS headquarters.

When the three arrived at headquarters, McGee and Gibbs were waiting in the observation room. Tony and Ziva led Max to the interrogation room, and Max took a seat at the table. Tony sat across from him and Ziva stood against the wall in the corner.

"Can we at least make this quick?" Max asked. "I don't know what you can ask me here that you couldn't ask me in my own office."

"Mr. Markson, where were you yesterday afternoon?" Tony began. Max sighed, slightly annoyed.

"I was at my office. I'm currently working on a very important case," Max replied. "I received the phone call that Rob and Lexi had died while I was in my office." Tony nodded.

"What was your reaction to the murder of your brother and niece?" he asked. Max cocked his head slightly to the left.

"Are you serious?" he asked, sounding angry. "He was my brother. And she was a child. I was furious. Why?"

"If I had a brother murdered, I don't believe I would be back to work the very next day," Tony said. Max shook his head.

"I told you, I'm working on a very important case," he repeated. "I wish Rob and Lexi were still here, but unfortunately, I cannot afford to just not work on this case. It is vital." Tony nodded and wrote in his notepad.

"Mr. Markson, tell me about the money your brother owed you," Tony instructed and took note of Max's reaction.

"I don't-"

"Know what I'm talking about?" Tony finished for him. "Yes you do. I've had a very long day, Mr. Markson, and would appreciate it if you were straight with me. Now, tell me about the money your brother owed you." Max dropped his mouth open and looked back and forth between Tony and Ziva who was still standing in the corner with a half-smile on her face.

"Fine," he obliged. "Our father passed away four months ago from lung cancer. I told Rob I would cover the costs of the funeral and everything, but he just insisted on paying half. Well, when we discovered the total amount, Rob saw that he couldn't even afford half. So he asked if I would loan him half of his half, so a quarter of the total amount, and he would come up with the rest. So, it turned out that I paid three quarters of it and he just had to cover the last twenty-five percent."

"So he owed you for a fourth of your father's funeral expenses?" Tony clarified. Max nodded.

"That's correct."

"Mr. Markson," Tony continued, "your brother was in the navy. He had a wife and daughter to support. They lived in a very expensive looking home. How is it that he couldn't afford half of the funeral?"

"Well," Max began hesitantly. "I, uh, he…Rob had a, uh, problem."

"What kind of problem?" Tony inquired.

"A gambling problem," Max replied. "He had a lot of money, Agent DiNozzo. At one time, he had saved up a ton of money. He got his first job working for our dad when he was fifteen and had been saving money ever since. He'd always had a large savings account. He started gambling, and he couldn't stop. He blew through money faster than he made it. Kristi couldn't stand it, so she opened her own account so she knew she could at least save her own money and Rob couldn't gamble it away like he did when they had a joint account."

"Interesting," Tony said, writing. "Kristi didn't offer to help cover the expenses?"

"It wasn't her place to," Max replied. "He was our father." Tony raised his right eyebrow at Max's last comment.

"You said that kind of bitterly, Mr. Markson," he observed. Max did not respond. "What kind of relationship did you have with your father?"

"How is that relevant?" Max demanded.

"At this point, anything could be relevant," Tony replied. Max took a deep breath before answering the question.

"I was seven years older than Rob," Max began. "Rob and I didn't grow up very close at all. We were extremely different as well. I went through high school, made straight A's, graduated early with my bachelor's degree. I went to Harvard Law School, for Christ's sake! I became a very successful lawyer. I married a beautiful woman and have gorgeous four-year-old twin girls. None of it was good enough for my dad. Dad was never in to school or grades. He wanted us to do well, but it wasn't all he cared about. Rob was just like him. Rob played football and basketball in high school. He and Dad would go hunting and fishing together. Rob graduated high school, not with honors or anything, but Dad was proud. And when Rob announced he had enlisted in the navy, he became like a god to our dad. I could never to anything right, and Rob could never do anything wrong."

"So, you were jealous of your brother's attention from your father?" Tony asked bluntly. Max glared at Tony for a moment.

"I will admit that I was always very angry that I accomplished so much more than Rob, but Dad never recognized it," Max replied.

"I wouldn't necessarily say you accomplished _more_ than your brother," Tony countered him. "You just accomplished different types of things. What your brother did interested your father."

"You know what really pissed me off, Agent DiNozzo?" Max continued, fury building in his voice. "Before Rob joined the navy, Dad had everything split fifty-fifty between us in his will. Once Rob joined the navy, boom! Rob was entitled to seventy-five percent of everything, and I got a quarter of it. All because he joined the navy!"

"I'll bet that really pissed you off," Tony said. Max looked into Tony's eyes for a moment.

"It did," he admitted. "But not enough to kill my brother and my niece." Tony nodded.

"Mr. Markson," Tony began again, "going back a few questions, you said you're brother said he would come up with the final quarter of the funeral expenses."

"Yes," Max replied, confused as to where Tony was going with the question.

"Did he mention how he would come up with the money?" Tony asked. Max thought for a moment and shook his head.

"No," he replied. "He just said he would come up with it."

After Tony had finished questioning Max, Max was released and the team was allowed to go home for the night. Gibbs made his way up to Jenny's office and let himself in.

"Jethro," Jenny greeted him. "How is the case going?" Gibbs shook his head and took a seat in the chair opposite of her.

"Not well," he admitted. "We've interviewed numerous people who had connections to Rob Markson, and we still don't have a prime suspect. I have no idea who killed this man and his daughter."

"You'll figure it out," Jenny said. "You always do." Gibbs offered her a sad smile.

"I hope we figure this one out, Jen," Gibbs sighed. "I really do."

"This case really seems to be getting to you," Jen observed. "You know you can talk to me if you need to. You don't always have to be the tough guy, Jethro." Gibbs gave her a stern look for about thirty seconds.

"It's not about being tough, Jen," Gibbs told her. "It's about justice. I have a murdered man and little girl, and I intend on putting whoever did it behind bars."

"Jethro, it's obvious to everyone that you can't get your mind off of Kelly-"

"And on that note," Gibbs said, standing and heading toward the door.

"Wait," Jen said. Gibbs sighed and turned to face her. "I'm sorry. But I'm here if you ever decide you need to talk. Remember that." Gibbs offered her a smile and a wink before exiting her office.

That evening, Ziva was getting ready for dinner with Tony. He had made reservations at a very fancy restaurant in downtown D.C. As Ziva stood in front of her mirror fixing her hair, she tried to suppress the butterflies in her stomach. It was just Tony; it's not like they hadn't gone places together before. However, when they had gone out together before, there had never been the sexual tension between them that there had been recently. Tonight was the night that Ziva vowed to uncover Tony's true intentions. How did he feel about her? Were the kisses they had shared meaningful to him, or was she just another girl that he was going to play?

7:45. Ziva saw the clock change and began wondering when Tony would arrive. Just then, the doorbell rang, and Ziva jumped, startled. She flattened the front of her dress and sprayed a quick spritz of her favorite perfume before heading to the door. When she opened it, Tony was revealed. He was wearing a nice black suit and cologne that filled Ziva's nostrils within seconds. She felt surrounded by him already.

"You look great," Tony greeted with a smile. Ziva was wearing a very flattering black dress that ended just above the knee and black high heels. She had pulled her hair half-up and had recently perfected her makeup.

"Thank you, so do you," she returned.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked. Ziva nodded and the two of them left for dinner.

At the restaurant, Tony and Ziva were completely consumed by each other. They spent the entire meal talking about everything they could think of. They discussed movies, music, books, and their dream vacations. The whole time, Tony kept thinking to himself that he had never felt about any other woman the way he was feeling for Ziva. He was completely in awe of her. She was beautiful, adventurous, and ambitious. Everything about her was perfect; her hair, her scent, her voice, her lips, even her imperfections. He thought it was very cute when she would mess up while speaking. Tony had known that he felt very strongly about Ziva, but over the course of dinner, he felt himself falling more and more in love with her with every passing minute.

"I can't believe it's 9:30," Tony said, looking at his watch.

"Is it really?" Ziva asked in surprise. "I had no idea so much time has passed."

"Guess I should get you home," Tony smiled. He paid the waiter and the two left. They pulled up to Ziva's apartment building, and Tony walked her to her door. When they reached her apartment, Ziva turned to face him.

"I had an amazing time with you tonight, Tony," she said, staring deeply into his eyes.

"I had a great time too, Ziva," he replied.

"Thank you for everything," she said, not breaking her gaze.

"It was my pleasure," Tony replied, inching closer to her face. Seconds later, their lips were locked again in a passionate kiss. Ziva wrapped her arms around Tony's neck and pulled him closer to her as he pushed her back against her apartment door. They made out passionately for a few moments before Ziva pulled away.

"Why don't you come in," she offered and unlocked her apartment. Tony followed her inside. After Ziva had closed the door, Tony leaned in to continue where they had left off, but Ziva held up a hand to block him. She smiled and winked at him flirtatiously before walking past him and down the hallway. Tony quickly followed her into her bedroom. When he entered the room, he saw Ziva leaning against the wall, still in her dress and high heels. She smiled and beckoned him to her with her finger. Tony placed his hands on her hips and began hungrily kissing her against the wall. She wrapped her arms around his neck again and began running her fingers through his hair. Then she lifted her right leg and wrapped it around his waist. Tony grabbed ahold of it and pulled her left leg up too. He then turned and carried her across the room and laid her down on her bed forcefully.

"Let's get rid of this," Ziva said, untucking Tony's shirt from his pants and pulling it off over his head. Tony smiled at her as she ran her fingers over his muscular shoulders. He leaned back in to kiss her, her legs still wrapped around his waist and her hands running up and down his back. Tony grabbed her waist and rolled over, pulling her on top of him.

"I figured you would like this better," he said sexily and ran his hands up and down her legs. He took the hem of her dress and started working it up her body until she allowed him to pull it off over her head. Ziva leaned forward and began kissing Tony more passionately than she had ever kissed anyone before. He was running his hands all over her, taking in every inch of her skin and Ziva moaned with pleasure. Tony flipped her over onto her back again without parting their lips and Ziva began fumbling with his belt. Soon, his pants and boxers had been removed and Tony pulled of Ziva's panties, the final article in his way. He pulled back from the kiss and leaned up, looking at the beauty in front of him. Ziva was lying on her back in only her black bra and high heels with her legs wrapped around his waist. He stared longingly into her eyes before leaning over her, pressing his lips against hers, and thrusting himself inside of her. Ziva moaned loudly and dug her fingernails into Tony's back. Tony and Ziva were overwhelmed with passion and had a steamy night full of the most passionate love-making of their lives.

When they were finished, Tony lowered himself on top of Ziva, breathing heavily and covered in sweat. She wrapped him in her arms and ran one hand through his hair. He gave her one final kiss on the lips before rolling onto his side and pulling her against his body. Ziva had never felt more comfortable in her life, and as she closed her eyes, she let Tony's scent and feel overtake her as she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

0-0-0

A/N: And that's why it's rated M :) Hopefully you found it classy and tasteful, but if you were offended, I apologize. We're getting closer and closer to solving the murder :) I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I promise it won't take me weeks to update! I am really excited to get this story going again. Hope this chapter was worth the wait. Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hello all. So I promised not to take forever to update again, so here it is!

Livi Harkness: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

T-I-V-A1432: Thanks, so do I :)

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize. I do own what I make up.

0-0-0

The next morning, the team members were quietly sitting at their desks looking over information for the case. It was rather somber-feeling inside the NCIS Headquarters, mainly due to the dreary feeling of the morning. It had been raining all morning and the sky was nearly black. The gloomy weather had the same effect on the atmosphere inside. Ziva sat at her desk trying to focus on the papers in front of her, but her mind kept drifting back to the previous night. It had been incredible. Her only problem was Gibbs. How could she and Tony be together and still work peacefully with Gibbs? He forbade such things happening.

Across from Ziva, Tony was sitting at his desk scrolling through his computer. He too was not focused on work, try as he might. He had the same fears that Ziva had about Gibbs finding out their secret. How would he react? Would they still have their jobs? Would Gibbs force them to stop seeing each other? Are they even really seeing each other? Tony had been out with many women before and had kissed them, had sex with them. He knew, though, that Ziva was different. He knew there would be no way he could act like nothing was happening between them. He had no idea how to break the news to Gibbs, and he dreaded the moment he would have to.

Gibbs sat at his desk, occasionally sipping his coffee. He wanted nothing more than to solve the case at hand, but he felt like the team was in such a slump. When were they finally going to make some headway as to who the killer was? His mind drifted back to the previous evening in Jenny's office. She had mentioned Kelly and how it was affecting him. Gibbs knew she was right. If there was anyone who could relate to the pain of losing a daughter, it was Gibbs. His personal experience was absolutely effecting his emotions and his focus on the case. However, Jenny had also been wrong. She had said that Gibbs needn't always be the 'tough guy.' Gibbs knew he was the leader of his team. He was the most skilled and respected member. Regardless of his personal feelings and desperation to catch the killer, he couldn't show his team his weakness. Gibbs took another sip of coffee and glanced around the room, hoping to see one of his team members show a sign of figuring something out. Nothing.

McGee sat at his desk across from Gibbs, searching avidly through his computer. McGee was the only person on the team who was actually completely focused and absorbed in the case, little did he know. After hearing Max Markson's story the previous day, McGee had decided to check Rob Markson's bank account. Somewhere there had to be a trace of where Rob had received the money for the funeral expenses and where he paid the money back. McGee was determined to find an answer.

Tony had stopped pretending to work on his computer by this point and was just staring at the screen. He distantly heard McGee pick up his phone and made a call. Usually, Tony would listen to McGee's conversation, but today he didn't care. He was snapped back to reality, though, when he heard McGee slam the phone down and speak to the team, breaking the silence of the gloomy morning.

"I got something!" McGee exclaimed. Gibbs sighed an internal sigh of relief and stood, signaling McGee to continue. "I checked Rob's bank accounts, and he's nearly broke. He must have already paid back whoever loaned him the money."

"And who would that be?" Tony asked.

"Find out," Gibbs ordered. "If whoever it was already had their money back, why is Markson dead? McGee, DiNozzo, go talk to the wife." With that, Tony and McGee exited headquarters and headed to Kristi Markson's house.

The drive started out quiet. Tony was driving, his mind still on his personal problems. McGee was in the passenger seat, staring out the window at the dreary morning and going through many possibilities regarding the case. Eventually, McGee thought he should break the silence.

"So, uh, this case," he began. "Pretty crazy."

"Yeah," Tony agreed absentmindedly.

"Do you think the wife will know where he got the money?" McGee pressed on. Tony shrugged his shoulders. McGee decided to try to hold a conversation one more time. "What about-"

"We will find out when we ask her," Tony interrupted firmly, annoyed by McGee's questions. McGee nodded and directed his gaze straight ahead through the windshield. The car was silent again for a couple minutes.

"What's going on with you and Ziva?" McGee finally asked. Tony's eyes lit up and he quickly turned toward McGee, shocked. He composed himself before answering.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Tony, I'm not stupid," McGee said. Tony chuckled. "You've been spending a lot of time together, you haven't been arguing here lately, and that day when I walked into the observation room, I could have sworn I saw you-"

"Probie," Tony interjected. "We spend a lot of time together because we're partners. We get sent places together. We've been focusing on the case, not arguing. It's a very tough, complex case. And I told you then and I'll tell you again, nothing was going on in observation."

"You get sent places together involving the case," McGee clarified. "What about when Gibbs called you in, and both of you showed up? And no case has ever caused you two not to argue."

"Oh look," Tony said, pointing out the window. "We're here. Let's go."

McGee sighed a sigh of defeat as Tony exited the car without another word. McGee followed up to Kristi's house and stood silently by Tony as he knocked on the door. A moment later, Kristi Markson answered the door.

"Hello," she greeted them, clearly confused. "Did you find out anything more?"

"May we come in?" McGee asked. Kristi nodded and allowed them to enter. They proceeded into the kitchen and sat at the kitchen table.

"Can I help you?" Kristi asked after offering them something to drink.

"Mrs. Markson," Tony began, "we know that whoever killed your husband and daughter was angry with your husband about money. We also know that your husband owed his brother for a quarter of their father's funeral expenses."

"Yes that's true," Kristi admitted. "Rob was so upset that he couldn't afford his half. Asking Max for it was very hurtful to Rob's pride."

"Mrs. Markson, are you aware of your husband's gambling problem?" McGee asked. Kristi was silent for a moment, and McGee noticed tears begin to well up in her eyes.

"Yes," she replied, nodding. "He was just beginning to get it under control."

"How did your husband come up with the final quarter of the expenses?" McGee asked. Kristi stared at him, offended.

"Are you trying to say that Rob couldn't afford the final quarter of the expenses on his own, Agent McGee?" Kristi asked.

"Mrs. Markson, we have access to his bank account," McGee explained. "Your husband was nearly broke. This shows us that however he got the money, he must have paid it back."

"I…" Kristi began. "I can't help you." She began to rise from the table.

"Mrs. Markson, I need you to cooperate," McGee said. "This could be vital in solving your husband and daughter's murder. Do you know how your husband acquired the money?" Kristi looked back and forth between Tony and McGee, tears streaming down her face, clearly not wanting to answer.

"Mrs. Markson," Tony began, "if you continue to withhold this information, you will be charged with-"

"Charged?" Kristi exclaimed, instantly outraged. McGee closed his eyes, wishing Tony hadn't spoken. "You're investigating the murder of my family, and you want to try to _charge_ me with something? When you _know_ I didn't have anything to do with killing them?"

"Mrs. Markson, what he is trying to say is that it is very important for you to fully cooperate with us," McGee clarified. "Without your help, we may not solve who did this." Kristi stared into Tony's eyes with fury swimming in her own. Finally, she sat back down.

"Fine," she agreed reluctantly. "But you can't let this get out. It will destroy what is left of the family."

"Mrs. Markson, how did your husband come up with the final quarter of the funeral expenses?" McGee asked patiently. Kristi took a deep breath before speaking.

"Rob really did have a lot of pride," she began. "He was embarrassed by his gambling problem, and he really was getting help for it. It took a lot for him to go to Max, but he didn't want Max to know that he couldn't afford any of it, which is why he only asked Max to pay an extra quarter. Patrick had always had a good amount of money built up in his savings account, and they were family, so Rob didn't think it would be a big deal to borrow from him. Patrick agreed to loan Rob the final quarter of the expenses."

"Patrick Lansing?" McGee asked to clarify. Kristi nodded. "And do you know if your husband paid him back?"

"I don't know, honestly," Kristi replied. "He didn't like concerning me with his account because of his gambling. Even though he was getting help, he didn't want me to know how much he had saved up until he felt like he had completely overcome his problem. That way, I wouldn't know if he was still blowing it on gambling."

"Alright," McGee said, closing his notepad. "Thank you for your help." Kristi walked Tony and McGee to the door.

"Please let me know when you figure it out," Kristi pleaded. McGee assured her that they would, and Kristi closed the door. Tony and McGee got into the car and started driving back toward headquarters.

"So do you think Markson was broke because he paid Lansing back? Or do you think he gambled it away again?" Tony asked.

"I'm not sure," McGee replied. "But if he paid him back, how would he have acquired the money to pay him back?" Tony shrugged as McGee's cell phone began to ring.

"McGee," McGee answered. "Okay…yeah, boss…be right there."

"What's going on?" Tony asked.

"We need to get back," McGee replied. "Joshua Barge was just there. We might finally have something."

0-0-0

A/N: You're one step closer to finding out who did it :) Now, in all honesty, I'm very disappointed in the lack of reviews chapter 5 got. I do check my stats of 'hits' and 'visitors' and it doesn't make sense to me that out of the significantly huge number of visitors, only two people reviewed. I'm not updating until I get some reviews. So it's up to you all…I _know_ who did it. If you want to find out, then please review :) Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Thanks to all who have been reading :) You're soooo close to finding out who the killer is! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Zoyarose: Thank you, I'm glad you like it. Keep reading!

Radafa: Yes, a person's bank account can reveal a lot! And thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Livi harkness: Thank you, I'm glad you like it! 

Tempe4Booth: Ha, yes, Gibbs finding out should be interesting. We'll just have to see!

Gale: Thank you! I'm glad you're liking it so much. I hope you enjoying this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of its characters. I do own the characters I made up :)

0-0-0

After Tony and McGee had left to talk to Kristi Markson, Ziva had gone down to Abby's lab, telling Gibbs that she thought another opinion may help them with the case. Ziva had not been present when Barge had talked to Gibbs, so she had no idea what Gibbs had learned.

"I don't know," Abby sighed and leaned against the counter down in her lab. "Sounds like quite the mystery."

"It is," Ziva admitted.

"Sorry I can't help you out," Abby apologized. "I'm not all that great with the crime-solving stuff. Science is my thing. This," she continued, turning and spreading her arms out as if to embrace her laboratory equipment, "is my domain." Ziva chuckled.

"Yes well it is always nice to get others' input," Ziva replied. "Besides, since Gibbs sent Tony and McGee, I was left alone with him. He has been rather tense during this case, and even I began to feel uncomfortable."

"Damn," Abby sighed. "I've never seen a case affect him this badly."

"It is very hard to witness what is happening," Ziva said. "It is very obvious that Gibbs is hurting inside and thinking of his daughter. And he is trying to hide it. He is extra moody and just full of tension. I hope for everyone's sake that we solve this soon." Abby nodded in agreement.

"So," Abby began after a small moment of silence. "What's going on with you and Tony?" A sly grin crossed Abby's mouth as she asked the question and watched Ziva's reaction.

"What do you mean?" Ziva asked. She was trying to suppress it, but a smile was creeping across her own face at the thought of Tony.

"Oh come on, girl, I have never seen you blush like that!" Abby exclaimed.

"I do not blush," Ziva replied and turned slightly away from Abby.

"Exactly! Which is why I _know_ something is up!" Abby said excitedly. "You can't even hide it, and you can hide anything! Wow, this is serious, isn't it?" Ziva sighed in defeat and knew that she was going to have to tell Abby.

"I do not know if it is serious," Ziva admitted. "Tony has been with many women, and I do not want to just be another number."

"Wait," Abby said, in shock of what she was actually hearing. "So have you and Tony…you know…?"

"Well…" Ziva smiled and turned her head to the left.

"Oh my God!" Abby exclaimed. "Ziva! I'm so happy for you! I always knew you two liked each other! Not that you don't make it incredibly obvious or anything. We all knew it was just a matter of time."

"But how do I know what he really feels?" Ziva repeated her original concern. "And it was _not_ obvious," she added defensively. Abby raised her eyebrow and looked at Ziva for a moment, silently telling her that it had been very clear.

"Anyway," Abby began, "don't dwell so much on trying to figure out how he feels. Have you told him how you feel?"

"Well, no," Ziva admitted.

"Then he's definitely not going to tell you how he feels yet! Ziva, Tony is, well, interesting," Abby began. "He really is a sweet, caring guy, and I'm sure he has shown you that. But if you want something to become of you two, then you need to stop waiting for him to say something first. If you love someone, sometimes you just have to take a risk and say it. Maybe he is waiting on some sort of sign from you, and if he doesn't get that sign, he may just move on."

"It's just that I have been fighting these emotions for so long, and here lately it has become more and more difficult," Ziva explained.

"Talk to him," Abby told her. Seriously, just tell him how you feel. Tell him what you want, and then he will tell you what he feels. And if I'm right, which I basically always am, he feels the same and is just as scared as you are to say it."

"I cannot believe I am making this into such a big deal," Ziva said. Abby smiled.

"That's what love does," Abby replied. "It makes everything seem like a bigger deal. Just don't wait too long to tell him. You never know what could happen."

Just as Ziva was about to say something more, Gibbs entered Abby's lab, startling the two girls.

"Gibbs!" Abby exclaimed. "You know there's nothing for me to find out, I'm not running tests. What are you doing down here?"

"Well I know you're discussing the case, and I need my team back," Gibbs replied, looking at Ziva. "We got something. Let's go." With that, Gibbs turned and exited Abby's lab.

"Thank you," Ziva whispered to Abby and turned to follow Gibbs.

"Wait," Abby said in a hurried, hushed voice. Ziva turned back around and was greeted with a huge hug from Abby. Quickly, Abby pulled away and smiled. "Good luck."

"Thank you," Ziva said again and hurried after Gibbs.

Upstairs, Tony and McGee had returned from the Markson house, and Gibbs was standing with a tape in his hand. As Ziva joined the team, she and Tony locked eyes and he smiled at her. She knew Abby was right. She had to tell Tony exactly how she felt. Ziva made a quick vow to herself that once the case was solved, she would reveal everything to Tony.

"Nice of you to join us," Gibbs said to Ziva.

"Sorry," Ziva replied. "What's that tape?"

"Joshua Barge came by, said he had something, handed me a manila envelope, and said he had to go," Gibbs explained. "This tape was in the envelope."

"I'll get it rolling," McGee said, taking the tape from Gibbs and getting it ready to play. The video popped up on the big-screen, and the team saw a view of grass, a sidewalk, and a porch.

"That's Barge's house," Gibbs observed.

"Must be a security tape," Tony said. They continued to watch, and moments later, they saw Patrick Lansing walking up the sidewalk toward Barge's house. They watched as Lansing picked the lock on the door and entered the house.

"Why would he be breaking in to Barge's house?" McGee wondered out loud. A few minutes later, they watched Lansing exit the house, closing the door, and trying awkwardly to conceal something under his shirt.

"Wasn't it Barge's gun that killed Rob Markson?" Tony asked.

"This is how Barge's gun got to the crime scene," Ziva said. "Lansing stole it and used it to kill Markson!"

"Let's go!" Gibbs ordered as grabbed his gear and headed toward the elevator, his team following closely behind.

Tony sighed a sigh of relief as he realized that this case was so close to being over. Little did he know that none of them were prepared for what they were about to encounter.

0-0-0

**A/N: **Well, everything seems to be falling together! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please R&R!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Get ready for an action-packed chapter 8 :)

Zoyarose: You're about to find out! Keep reading.

KoteDiM: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you like the rest!

Radafa: I can see how the security tape seemed too convenient, but remember, even though it's taking me an ungodly amount of time to write this, it's really only taken place over a couple of days . But, even still, I promise that every question will be answered very soon! I'm glad you liked it, and hope you like this chapter as well!

Livluvdance2992: Thanks! I hope you enjoy the rest!

Disclaimer: Still own nothing other than my made-up characters.

0-0-0

Gibbs was driving on the way to Lansing's house. McGee, Tony, and Ziva were waiting anxiously for any more of an explanation that they could get from Gibbs, since he was the only one who has interacted with Barge that day. All had been too cautious to speak, until McGee finally broke the silence.

"So, uh," he began. Gibbs looked his way, expecting him to continue. He waited for a moment.

"What, McGee?" Gibbs asked. McGee shook his head.

"Nothing, boss." Minutes later, they pulled up to Patrick Lansing's house and hurried to the front door.

"Ready?" Ziva said just above a whisper. Gibbs signaled her with a nod, and Ziva kicked the door open. The team quickly entered the house, actively searching each room for any sign of Patrick Lansing.

"Clear!" was the only response from each room. The four met back at the front door, perplexed as to where their suspect had gone.

"He's not here, boss," Tony observed out loud.

"I can see that, DiNozzo," Gibbs said impatiently.

"Think he could be at Kristi's?" Tony asked. Gibbs thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"No," he replied. "I know where he is. Come on." Confused, Tony, Ziva, and McGee followed their boss outside and back to the car. Gibbs sped away from Lansing's house and moments later pulled up to his new destination.

"Joshua Barge's house?" McGee asked.

"You think Lansing figured out that Barge saw the tape and turned him in?" Tony asked.

"Let's go," Gibbs ordered, ignoring both of their questions. The team followed Gibbs up to the front porch of Barge's house, unsure of what to expect behind the front door.

"Alright, we're going in," Gibbs muttered before kicking open the door himself, gun at the ready. The others quickly entered with him and were shocked by what they saw.

"Shit," Tony whispered, looking at the body of an attractive woman. She was sprawled out on the living room floor, face down, in a pool of blood.

"That's Barge's wife," McGee observed.

"Come on," Gibbs ordered and led them toward the hallway. He stopped outside a bedroom door, hearing a man's voice from the inside. "In here."

Tony took a deep breath and kicked open the bedroom door, gun held in front. "Federal agents!"

The sight in front of them stunned the team. None of them had been sure exactly what to expect, but what they were faced with was most definitely their least expectation. Joshua Barge stood in near the wall, his arm around Patrick Lansing's neck, holding a gun to Lansing's head. Lansing's right shoulder was bleeding profusely, and it appeared that it had been attacked with a knife.

"Agent Gibbs!" Lansing exclaimed as he tried to grasp for air. "Help me!"

"Put the gun down, Barge," Gibbs ordered, still pointing his gun at the men. "Now."

"No!" Barge hollered. "Not after what this bastard did! He deserves to die!"

"I don't…know…what you're…talking…about," Lansing said between his gasps, pulling at Barge's arm that was constricting his airway.

"Listen to me," Gibbs said to Barge. "I can help you. But you need to put the gun down." Barge shook his head, tears beginning to fall from his eyes.

"No!" he yelled again. "He killed my wife!"

"Don't…listen to…him!" Lansing gasped. Gibbs ignored Lansing and did not let his own eyes leave Barge.

"Boss, Barge is going to suffocate him," McGee said quietly to Gibbs who nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

"Barge, I need you to put the gun down and let go of Lansing," Gibbs instructed firmly. Barge shook his head again and pressed the gun directly against Lansing's temple. Lansing whimpered momentarily in fear.

"You know, Agent Gibbs, I thought Patrick was a good guy," Barge said, hysteria rimming his voice. "But when you guys told me that _my_ gun had killed my best friend, I didn't know what to think. I came home. I went to my home office and checked in my desk. Sure enough, my damn gun was gone!" Barge's eyes darted from Gibbs to Tony to McGee to Ziva, all of whom listened intently with their guns still pointed.

"Is that when you checked your security tape?" Gibbs asked. Barge nodded.

"Yeah," Barge responded, a smile forming on his tear-stained face. "I got that camera last year after some fucking teenagers egged my house. Never thought it'd catch some bastard breaking in to steal from me!"

"He's…lying!" Lansing pleaded. "Help me!"

"Shut up!" Barge ordered the man he was holding. He then focused back on Gibbs. "This jackass broke into my house, stole my gun, and killed my best friend. And he made it look like _I_ did it!" Lansing began coughing and sputtering, not even producing real words.

"I need you to loosen up on his throat," Gibbs said. Barge was hesitant for a moment. "Now!" Reluctantly, Barge relaxed his arm a bit and Lansing took a huge breath of air.

"Thank you," Lansing said appreciatively.

"I didn't do it for your welfare," Gibbs spat. "I just want you alive to receive your punishment. I know you killed Markson _and_ his little girl. You know what they do to people in prison who harm children?"

"Agent Gibbs, I didn't!" Lansing exclaimed.

"Liar!" Barge yelled. "You killed my best friend and his daughter, then you killed my wife!"

"I didn't see her! I thought it was you who opened the door!" Lansing screamed before he could stop himself. There was an uneasy silence as everyone let the reality of what was just revealed sink in. Lansing had come to the house intending to kill Barge. Barge's wife answered the door, and Lansing shot her before even looking to see who it was. Then, Barge rushed into the room after hearing the gunshot, a knife as his weapon. He saw his wife lying dead on the floor and attacked Lansing, thus the knife wound on Lansing's shoulder. Lansing must have dropped the gun, and Barge retrieved it and took custody of the wounded Lansing.

"We have a confession to one murder," Gibbs finally observed out loud. "Barge, you need to put your gun down now. We have this confession, we have the tape of him breaking in and stealing your gun. Your gun was used to kill Rob and Lexi Markson. This is more than enough to convict him. You killing him will only cause problems for yourself. Put the gun down, and let the prison take care of him." After a moment of hesitation, Barge lowered the gun from Lansing's head. He still held his arm around Lansing's neck, just not as tightly, and the gun still hung loosely in his left hand. Gibbs, feeling very slightly relieved, turned to Lansing.

"So, why did you do it?" he asked.

"Do what?" Lansing retorted.

"Why did you kill Rob and Lexi Markson?" Gibbs demanded. Lansing chuckled lightly.

"Well, you know about mine and Kristi's affair," Lansing began. "Kristi came over the other day. Said she told Rob some bullshit about going to the grocery store. She told me she could never be with me again. What happened was just a one-time thing and meant nothing to her. Said she loved Rob."

"And that pissed you off," Tony concluded. Lansing's eyes darted straight to Tony.

"Yes," Lansing responded. "After Kristi left, I knew she wasn't going straight home. Something in my gut just told me that if I went after Rob, Kristi wouldn't be there. So, as you saw, I took Barge's gun. Then I went over to Rob's house. The gun was hidden; obviously I didn't want him to know I had it. He let me in and we just started talking casually. I looked at his computer screen and saw he had an online poker game up. That pissed me off more because the bastard owed me money for his father's damn funeral expenses-"

"Owed _you_?" Tony repeated.

"You lent him the money for the funeral?" Gibbs asked to clarify. Lansing nodded.

"Yeah," he replied. "He told me he hadn't saved up enough to pay me back yet. But the piece of shit wasn't trying to save it because he was gambling it away again!"

"Is that when you shot him?" Gibbs asked.

"We got into a verbal argument," Lansing replied. "One thing led to another. Next thing I knew, I heard a gunshot, I looked down and saw Rob dead and a gun in my hands."

"And Lexi?" Gibbs pressed on.

"That little bitch was in her bedroom down the hall," Lansing continued, his voice full of hatred. "I knew when I went after Rob that Kristi wouldn't be there, but I forgot about the girl. She heard the yelling and gunshot and screamed. She had apparently been listening from the hallway. The she ran back to her bedroom. I followed her. I had to shoot her too. I couldn't let a child get me sent to jail." Gibbs was livid. He was face to face with the man who killed an innocent little girl in order to save himself from going to prison.

"So after killing this girl's father, you shot her in her own bedroom to protect yourself," Gibbs said slowly. "And you tried to make it look like you had nothing to do with it so that you could ensure that you could continue your relationship with the child's mother?" Tony, Ziva, and McGee could hear the fury in Gibbs' voice as he spoke.

"You're fucking sick!" Barge exclaimed. McGee jumped slightly, as they had all nearly forgotten that Barge was still in the room, even though he still had ahold of Lansing.

"Barge," Gibbs said sternly. "I need you to back away. And put the gun on the bed." Hesitantly, Barge let go of Lansing and backed slowly toward the bed. Gibbs looked at Lansing, signaling with his eyes for Lansing to raise his hands in the air. Lansing did so with a cocky, sinister smile on his face. Out of the corner of his eye, Lansing watched as Barge lowed the gun onto the bed.

"Now, I'm-" Gibbs was interrupted when Lansing lunged unto the bed and grabbed the gun. All at once, five gunshots rang, and two bodies fell to the floor.

0-0-0

**A/N:** I hope that wasn't too hard to follow. But on a different note, who were the two bodies? Hope you all liked this chapter and remember to review! More to come soon!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Well, now the crime is solved, but who was shot? And what about Ziva and Tony? Keep reading to find out :)

Zoyarose: You're about to find out :) Hope you enjoy it!

Livluvdance2992: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it, and keep reading to find out!

Disclaimer: I own only what I made up.

0-0-0

Ziva's head was spinning. She was staring straight ahead of her at the wall just a few feet from her face. For the past couple days, she and the rest of the team had been working avidly on solving the case. It was a horrible case. Anything involving the death of a child is terrible. Ziva had learned so much about the other members of the team, and it had come to a sense of relief when the crime had been solved there at Barge's house. That was, however, before any triggers were pulled.

Ziva thought about her relationship with Tony. Ever since they had met, there had been undeniable tension between the two of them. She knew the others had noticed it at different occasions. This case somehow let her reveal it to herself though. For the first time ever, Ziva had completely let her guard down for Tony and showed him herself in complete vulnerability. She had gone to him and apologized, cried in front of him, slept with him, held him, and been held by him. She felt closer to Tony over the past couple days than she had the entire time of knowing him. She knew that was proof that her feelings for him were becoming overwhelming. Ziva knew that she truly loved Tony. It had been made obvious to her. She also knew the main factor that kept her from confessing her true feelings to him was the fact that Tony had been with so many other girls, and Ziva was frightened that he did not share the feelings she had for him. This was why Ziva had gone to Abby earlier in the day. Abby had been absolutely right. She had told Ziva to tell Tony exactly how she felt, and Ziva had said she would tell him after the case was solved. She loved him. Tears welled up in Ziva's eyes as the ambulance she was riding in hit a bump in the road and she looked down at the unconscious body lying in front of her, knowing that now she may never have the chance to tell him her true feelings.

"_Barge, I need you to back away and put the gun on the bed," Gibbs ordered. Ziva watched as Barge hesitantly obeyed her boss. Barge released Lansing and placed the gun on the bed. Ziva couldn't help but feel a slight smile forming and tried to suppress it. This case was finally solved. They had won. But then, the unthinkable happened._

"_Now, I'm-" Gibbs was interrupted and Ziva unknowingly took a deep breath and held it as she saw Lansing lunge for the gun on the bed. Ziva held her breath and her heart raced during the altercation. But, she did what she was trained to do. She shot. So did Gibbs, Tony, McGee…and Lansing. She felt satisfaction in seeing Lansing drop to the floor, dead. However, she hadn't yet noticed what had happened behind her to her right._

"_Shit, boss!" McGee exclaimed. Ziva turned to see Tony lying on the floor, his hand on his chest, slowly being covered by his own blood._

"_Call an ambulance," Gibbs instructed McGee who then stepped out into the hallway to obey. Gibbs then knelt beside Tony and quickly began applying pressure to his chest wound._

"_McGee is calling for help, okay?" Gibbs said quietly to his senior field agent who was breathing irregularly. Ziva hadn't moved. She stood, frozen. Her heart was racing and her blood was boiling. She could feel her heart breaking inside her chest at the sight of the man that she loved lying helplessly on the floor in front of her._

"_Boss," Tony gasped. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry…for everything…I know…I broke the rules…But don't…punish…her." Ziva felt tears rimming her eyes. She knew exactly what Tony was talking about, even if he himself didn't realize what he was saying._

"_Ambulance is on its way, boss," McGee said, reentering the room. Gibbs nodded._

"_Hear that?" Gibbs said, keeping the pressure on Tony's chest. "Just stay with me."_

"_Boss," Tony continued. "I want you to know…I'm sorry…for anything I've done…I know it seems…like I take things as a joke…but I want you to know…that working for you…has been one of the best things…to ever happen to me…I've loved every…minute…of it…and I want to…thank you for that." By this point, tears were streaming down Ziva's face, and she wasn't bothering to wipe them away. McGee was trying himself to hold back tears._

"_Listen to me Tony," Gibbs said softly. "You're one of the best, strongest people I've ever worked with, and you're not giving up." Tony smiled and his eyes began to close. "Tony! Keep your eyes open. Stay with me."_

"_I need some air," Ziva said in an extremely strained voice and quickly exited the room. Seconds later, McGee followed her. She had gone out and sat on the front porch. McGee sat beside her in silence for a moment._

"_It isn't fair," Ziva said, looking down at the concrete. McGee nodded his head._

"_I know," he agreed. "But Tony's a strong guy."_

"_Being a strong person does not mean a bullet to the heart cannot ki…well, you know," Ziva said, the tears rimming her eyes again._

"_Tony's gonna be okay, Ziva," McGee assured her, putting his arm around her shoulders._

"_But what if he isn't?" Ziva asked as tears began to escape her eyes again. She rested her head on McGee's shoulder and he tried his best to comfort her._

"_Don't worry," he said. "He will be."_

The ambulance had arrived a minute later, and Gibbs had instructed Ziva to ride with Tony. She looked toward the windshield of the ambulance and noticed they were pulling into the hospital parking lot. Tony was rushed out of the ambulance and into the hospital where he was taken to the operating room for surgery. Gibbs, Ziva, and McGee sat anxiously in the waiting room while Tony was having his operation. Suddenly, the door opened and Abby and Jenny rushed inside.

"Ziva!" Abby exclaimed and ran toward her. Ziva greeted Abby with a huge, comforting hug. "Ziva, I'm so sorry. But I know he'll be okay." The two girls pulled away and Ziva nodded, hoping Abby was right.

"Any word recently?" Jenny asked. Gibbs shook his head.

"He's still in surgery," he replied. At that point, Ducky and Palmer entered the room as well.

"Hello everyone," Ducky greeted grimly. "Anthony is still in surgery, I presume?"

"Yes he is," Ziva replied with a lump in her throat.

"Very well," Ducky said. "Then all we can do is wait and hope for the best." They sat and waited for what seemed like years. No one spoke, and if they did, it was very brief and simply a reassuring word or two. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the doctor came to greet them.

"Are you all here for Anthony DiNozzo?" he asked.

"Yes," Gibbs responded. "How is he?"

"The surgery went well," the doctor replied to which everyone sighed in deep relief. "He is in recovery."

"When may we see him?" Ducky inquired.

"He is unconscious and needs rest," the doctor replied. "Tomorrow he may have visitors."

"Thank you doctor," Gibbs said and the doctor left. Gibbs turned to his team. "Go home. Try to get some rest. We'll come back tomorrow." As everyone started to leave, Abby pulled Ziva aside.

"Do you want to stay at my place tonight?" she offered. "You know, for company, to talk."

"Yes," Ziva replied after a moment of consideration. "I would like that."

0-0-0

"So, how are you doing?" Abby asked. She and Ziva were sitting on the couch staring at the Chinese food they had ordered, neither of them having an appetite. Ziva sighed.

"I do not know," she replied honestly. "I have so many emotions going through me right now." Abby nodded.

"I can only imagine," she said. "Wanna talk about it?" Ziva didn't answer for almost a minute.

"It was so scary," she began. "First I did not know that he had been shot. I was thrilled that Lansing was dead and the case was over. Then, I saw Tony, and I instantly felt angry, terrified, helpless…so many different things at once. In the ambulance and at the hospital I felt uneasy, anxious, and still terrified. And when the doctor said he would be okay, I experienced a lot of happiness and relief. But I still feel helpless. I just wish that this had never happened."

"I know exactly what you mean," Abby said. "And it's totally okay and normal that you felt all of that. It would be frightening if you didn't, actually. He's your partner. He's your friend. He's…the man you're in love with." Ziva stirred her rice a little bit with the chopstick in her hand.

"Yes, that is all true," Ziva admitted. "Abby, I should have listened to you earlier. I do not know what I would have done if he…" Abby nodded.

"I don't even want to think about that," Abby agreed. "But you still have plenty of time to talk to him." Ziva shook her head.

"That is what I said to myself earlier," she said. "I told myself that I would talk to Tony after we had solved the case. Well, we solved the case and then I nearly lost him. I may not have ever had the chance to tell him, Abby. So I cannot wait any longer under the false pretense that I have plenty of time. That may not be true. Tomorrow, I am telling him everything." Abby smiled again. She was happy for Ziva. Ziva had admitted her feelings and was about to tell Tony how she felt. Abby just hoped that everything would work out.

0-0-0

**A/N:** Well, just so you all know, the next chapter will be the final chapter. I really hope you all enjoyed this one, and please, please review and tell me what you thought! I am very excited to be finishing this story, and I hope you are all as excited about the final chapter coming up as I am. I hope you enjoyed :)


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Well, I can't believe I'm actually starting the final chapter to my first NCIS story :) Here it goes!

Livluvdance2992: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. I really hope you enjoy the ending as well!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any original characters. I simply own those whom I made up :)

0-0-0

The next morning, Ziva and Abby arrived at the hospital at the very beginning of visiting hours before anyone else from the team arrived. Ziva knew that this was the day that she would tell Tony everything that she had been holding in. She hoped that Tony shared her feelings, but knew that even if he didn't, she would feel better once she admitted everything. The girls approached his hospital room and saw a nurse exiting it.

"Hello," the nurse greeted Abby and Ziva with a smile.

"Good morning," Abby replied. "Is everything okay?" Abby gestured toward Tony's door.

"Yes," the nurse replied. "Everything is just fine. He is asleep right now, but you may feel free to go on in." With another smile, the nurse excused herself and walked down the hall.

"You go ahead," Abby said to Ziva. "I'll wait out here until after you've had your talk."

"Abby, you heard the nurse," Ziva said in protest. "He's asleep. There's no telling how long it will be until I can even talk to him." Abby smiled.

"But when he wakes up, I'm sure it will mean a lot more to him if you are the very first thing he sees," she explained before taking a seat outside the room. "Good luck." Ziva smiled at her friend before taking a deep breath and entering Tony's room.

Ziva closed the door quietly behind her and took in her surroundings as she slowly crossed the room. Hospitals had always been such a depressing place, despite the 'get well' flowers and balloons that tried brightening the mood. Ziva pulled a chair up directly to Tony's bed and sat next to him. She stared at the monitors next to his bed and the IV attached to him. Upon seeing everything, Ziva felt completely helpless all over again. She gently reached onto the bed and took one of Tony's hands in hers. As her thoughts raced, she lightly caressed the back of his hand.

"I'm so sorry," Ziva whispered as tears began to fill her eyes.

"For what?" said a man's voice very weakly, just above a whisper itself. Ziva knew that voice very well and looked up at Tony's face, instantly relieved that he had awoken.

"Tony!" she smiled and stood from the chair. Very carefully avoiding the wires and his wound, Ziva wrapped him in her arms with a very loving hug that he returned to the best of his ability. Ziva sat back in her chair, and Tony noticed the tears that were still filling her eyes.

"You know none of this was your fault, right?" he asked weakly. Ziva nodded and sniffled a bit.

"Yes," she replied. "It just hurts to see you like this."

"At least we got Lansing though, right?" Tony said, trying to avoid talking about what would bring Ziva more pain. Ziva nodded again.

"Yeah," she said again. "How…how are you feeling?" Tony shrugged.

"Well, I was shot," he began. "I'm laid up in a hospital bed. I feel pretty helpless right now."

"Are you in any pain?" Ziva asked.

"Nothing that I can't handle," Tony replied. "Besides, I'm hooked up to meds too." Ziva nodded, knowing that Tony was more than likely down-playing how he was truly feeling in attempts to lessen her worrying. It wasn't working.

"Tony it was so scary," Ziva finally said. She could feel her cheeks start to burn and her tears threaten to resurface but she managed to suppress them. Tony sighed and placed his hand back onto hers.

"I know it was," he responded softly as he stroked her hand with his fingers.

"No," Ziva said, shaking her head. "No you don't." Tony cocked his head, confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I was terrified," Ziva replied. "When I saw you lying there, shot, bleeding like that, I had the most indescribable feeling. I couldn't move. And I heard what you told Gibbs. Then, I saw you getting weaker and weaker and almost close your eyes. I couldn't watch anymore and had to leave. I was just so scared, Tony." Tony nodded and then took her hand completely into his own.

"I'm sorry, Ziva, that you had to experience that," he said, looking deeply into her eyes. Ziva shook her head.

"You do not have to apologize, Tony," she said. "I am just so glad that you are okay. I really do not know what I would have done if anything worse had happened to you."

'This is it, Ziva,' she thought to herself. 'If you don't say it now, you've blown your chance.'

"Well, I'm still here. Looks like you're stuck with me a while longer," Tony said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. He hated seeing Ziva so upset.

"That is perfectly okay with me," Ziva replied. "Although I do not view it as being stuck." She took a deep breath. "Tony, I feel very blessed to have you in my life. When I say I do not know what I would have done if something worse had happened, I mean it. I don't know what I would do without you, Tony." Tony kept his eyes locked on Ziva's face and stroked the back of her hand once with his thumb, urging her to continue. "You just mean so much to me." Ziva's voice cracked and a tear finally escaped from one of her eyes. Before she could wipe it away, Tony had lifted his hand and gently brushed the tear from her face.

"Please don't cry," he said soothingly. Ziva sniffled again and tried to blink away the rest of the tears.

"Tony, do you remember the other night when I came to your apartment after work when we'd had our argument?" Ziva asked. Tony smiled at the memory; it had been the night when they had shared a perfect, passionate kiss. Ziva had stayed the night that night in Tony's bed.

"Of course I remember," he replied.

"You mentioned rule number eight, never take anything for granted," Ziva continued and took Tony's hand in both of hers. "You said that you would explain to me later how it applied to our situation, but then you never did. Well, I figured it out myself." Ziva looked deep into Tony's eyes and took another deep breath before continuing. "Tony, when I am with you, I am overcome with feelings that I do not usually experience. You make me feel special. When we kiss, I feel passion that I have never felt with anybody else. And we didn't just have sex; we made love. It was so intense and passionate. I cannot even describe what you do to me when I am with you. I love you, Tony. Tonight I almost lost you, and I want you to know that I will _never_ take you or our time together for granted again. Rule number eight."

Tony and Ziva sat in silence for a moment as Tony tried to allow Ziva's words to sink in. She still had ahold of his hand and their eye contact remained. Finally, Tony spoke.

"Is this real right now?" he thought aloud. "I'm not dreaming, am I?" Ziva shook her head and squeezed his hand.

"No," she replied. "I really said it, and I meant every word." Tony smiled, feeling overcome with happiness all of a sudden.

"Ziva, you have no idea how badly I've wanted to hear you say that," he said. "And I know you mean it. And I feel it all too. You're so much different than anyone else in the world, and you make me feel indescribable too. Ziva, I love you too, so much." A huge smile came over Ziva's face, and she wrapped Tony in another huge hug. When she pulled away, tears of happiness were already streaming down her face.

"Sorry," she laughed as she and Tony wiped her tears away together.

"Don't be," Tony told her. "You don't have to apologize to me." Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and it opened, revealing Abby.

"Do you care if we come in?" she asked. "Everyone else is here now."

"Come on in," Ziva replied, not even bothering to hide the giant smile on her face. Abby, McGee, Ducky, Palmer, Jenny, and Gibbs filed into the hospital room and observed the scene of Tony's room.

"Oh, Tony, I'm so glad that you're okay!" Abby squealed and hugged him.

"Thanks, Abbs," Tony said as Abby pulled away.

"It'll be nice to have you back," Gibbs said. "When you're recovered of course. And I'm sure there's someone more than willing to help you to a full recovery." Gibbs directed his gaze toward Ziva who couldn't help but blush slightly. Abby smiled knowingly, as did Ducky, while McGee stared between Tony and Ziva, obviously confused again.

"So, what happened with Lansing, anyway?" Tony asked.

"He was killed at the scene," Gibbs replied. "But we were a bit busy focusing on you."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Tony said. Gibbs shook his head.

"Don't be," he said. "And don't apologize. I don't need you breaking anymore of my rules."

"Ooh, which rules did he break?" Abby asked excitedly. Ziva shot her a semi-threatening look, and Abby just smiled.

"Well, he didn't break my biggest one, that's for sure. And I don't see that happening either," Gibbs replied. "Rule number one."

"Don't screw your partner?" McGee asked, confused.

"Don't screw _over_ your partner, probie," Tony corrected him as everyone shared a laugh.

"But he already broke what you just said, McGee," Abby said with a smile on her face.

"Abby!" Ziva scolded, shocked that Abby would openly reveal that in front of Gibbs.

"Calm down, Ziva," Gibbs said. "I already knew."

"You did?" Tony asked, although he knew he probably shouldn't be surprised that Gibbs had figured it out.

"Well you made it pretty obvious, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied. "When I call you, and twenty minutes later the two of you walk into work together, something's going on." Tony and Ziva chuckled at how careless they had been all along at hiding their growing relationship.

"So, are you okay with it then, boss?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied. "I am. As long as it doesn't affect your work, I really am. Besides, if I had a problem with it, I'd be a hypocrite myself."

"What do you mean, boss?" McGee asked, clearly confused again. Gibbs smiled and put his arm around Jenny. "What? You…? How long?"

"Two months," Jenny replied. Tony, Ziva, and Abby all exchanged glances saying that they had already known their boss's secret. McGee noticed this exchange.

"Why am I always the last to know stuff like this?" he wondered out loud.

"Oh, don't fret, Timothy," Ducky smiled at the young man. "There's no shame in finding out last. In fact, someone's got to."

"Alright," Gibbs began. "Well, we'll let you have your rest for now. It's great to see you're doing okay."

"Thanks, boss," Tony said. Abby and Jenny each gave Tony a hug, and everyone bid their goodbyes to Tony and Ziva. Finally, Tony and Ziva were alone again.

"So Gibbs is really okay with us," Tony said. Ziva nodded.

"Yes," she replied. "That is such a relief."

"I know," Tony agreed. "I don't know why I was so afraid of having to tell him. I can't believe I was making it into such a big deal." Ziva smiled when she remembered what Abby had said to her when Ziva herself had said something similar to this.

"Well, Tony," she said. "Love makes everything seem like a big deal. I know. I was afraid to tell him too. Almost as afraid as I was to tell you."

"Why were you afraid to tell me?" Tony asked.

"Probably for the same reason that I suspect you were afraid to tell me," Ziva replied. "The fear of rejection, emotional pain, and harm to our friendship. Then of course the fact that I believed Gibbs forbade relationships between co-workers."

"Well, you never have to fear any of that," Tony promised. "I'll never hurt you. And I guess it wasn't so forbidden after all, was it?"

"No, not at all," Ziva replied with a smile. "I love you, Tony."

"I love you too, Ziva," Tony said. Their lips met, and they both felt the same passion that they felt that night in Tony's apartment. They both knew those feelings would always be there. Finally, Tony and Ziva were happy. They were guilt-free and in love, and neither could ask for anything more.

0-0-0

**A/N:** The End :) So that's it. I really hope you all enjoyed the final chapter of this! Thank you so much for reading, and please review to tell me what you thought of it! Also, I'll be posting the first chapter of my next story soon, so if you're interested, be looking for that :) Well, thanks again for reading. I really appreciate it, and your reviews!


End file.
